To Your Mark
by BlueEyedWolf33
Summary: As the pounding of hooves drew nearer, the largest and blackest stallion the Company had ever seen emerged from the trees. Coming to a halt, he pawed the air with his fury hooves and for a moment, the hobbit was sure he would be crushed. The cloaked rider upon his back was able to steer the horse away before the beast stilled. "You are late... again!" Gandalf scolded. Thorin/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to all those who have discovered this story! And welcome to my old friends who have read my other tales! It is finally here! Welcome to my Hobbit story!**

**Now, you've all waited patiently so I won't give a long speech about how much I appreciate my readers and followers. So, without further ado, here's the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is associated with the Hobbit! It belongs to the amazing and wonderful J.R.R. Tolkien! I only own my OC and what happens in my story!**

**Now, here is my tale!**

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Under the lush and rolling hills of the Shire, there was a hole.

No, it was not a nasty, dirty, stinking hole filled with worms and bugs. For it was a hobbit-hole and that indicates comfort. And underneath the grassy hill, the hole had a round and green door with a shinning and golden brass knob in the center. Flowers sprouted up happily in the flower boxes outside, greeting any passerby that stopped to take a whiff of the sweet smelling plants. A small stone path lead up to the aforementioned door and a cozy bench sat just beside it. One could sit for hours to look out across the rolling hills of the Shire whilst you blew lazy smoke rings into the sky.

And that was exactly what the owner of the quaint hole in the ground was doing. And you may ask: _What is a hobbit?_

Well, you see, a hobbit is a rather short creature that lives in the ground. I'm afraid that is all I may tell but more about hobbits will become revealed to you shortly.

So this hobbit was a very respectable one at that and his name was Baggins. Mr. Bilbo Baggins.

You see, for they were a respectable folk because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. And if it was unexpected, it was expected that he made the unexpected thing expected.

Never did the hobbit believe that he would ever partake in an adventure, for you see, he was no longer a child and wished not to play childish games.

And now as he sat upon his quaint bench, smoking away with his wooden pipe, he was simply enjoying himself and the scenery around him, bathing in the warmth of the sun.

Little did he know, that this would be one of the last times he would ever be able to smoke quietly and in solitude for some ages.

However, the small puff of the smoke on his face awakened him from his light dozing and the hobbit snorted as it had tickled his nose. Opening his eyes, he was a bit surprised to find the looming form of a man standing before him.

He was clothed in all shades of gray and atop his head sat a large and pointed hat. In his withered hands, he held a strong and sturdy walking stick made from gnarled wood.

"Good morning." The hobbit greeted as he would have greeted any other passerby.

"What do you mean?" The older fellow asked, his eyes seeming to sparkle with a hint of mischief. "Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or that you feel good this morning? Or that it is a morning to be good on?"

Bilbo was stunned into silence seeing all the questions he was being asked. Going over the numerous questions in his head, the hobbit only knew one way to respond to the man politely. Sitting up straighter, he cleared his throat before answering, "All of them at once I suppose..."

The tall man seemed to deflate at the answer the hobbit had given him, his once smiling figures dropping into a subtle frown.

"Can I help you?" Bilbo asked once again, wondering just what exactly the man needed.

"That remains to be seen..." He grumbled, his hands still clutching his sturdy walking stick. The hobbit shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment, the stranger's presence overwhelming him. "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure!"

The pipe that had been in his mouth slipped out as his mouth dropped open the slightest. Looking at the gray man unbelievably, he blinked a few times rapidly, wondering if he had heard him correctly.

"A-An adventure?" The hobbit craned his neck as he thought about the man's words. "Now I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures..." He rose from his seat on the bench and strode to his mailbox. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things!" Taking the mail from inside, the hobbit began to riffle through, "Things that make you late for dinner!" Making some sounds of interest as he looked at the letters in his palm, he glanced back up at the man before taking one last puff on his pipe. "Good morning!"

"To think that I should have lived to be 'good morninged' by Belladonna Tooks's son as if I were selling buttons at the door!"

"I beg your pardon!" Bilbo squeaked as the man advanced further along the fence as the hobbit began to ascend the stone pathway.

"You've changed and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins!"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Well, you know my name though you don't remember I belong to it. I am Gandalf and Gandalf means... me!" This seemed to spark some recognition in the hobbit's memory and he began to mumble under his breath.

"Not Gandalf the Wandering Wizard who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's eve!" The hobbit laughed out loud. "No idea you were still in business!"

"And where else should I be?" The hobbit could only gesture with the end of his pipe before finding himself lost for words. He cleared his throat once before stoking his pipe again. "Well, I'm glad to find that you remember something about me... Even if its only my fireworks..." The wizard grumbled under his breath for a moment. "Well that's decided! It will be very good for you and most amusing for me! I will inform the others!"

_Others?_ Bilbo thought to himself as the wizard began to move off. _No, there can't be others!_

"W-What?! N-No! Wait!" The hobbit trotted up the stone pathway. "We do not want any adventures here, thank you! Not today! I suggest you try over the Hill or across the water!" The wizard turned back to face the hobbit, who was motioning in said directions with his pipe. It was an awfully nasty habit he had been meaning to break. "Good morning!" Scurrying back to his green door, the hobbit quickly opened and closed it behind himself.

Leaning his back against the door, he took a deep breath and locked the door for good measure. Wizards were sneaky folk. Deciding that he had done a well enough job, the curly haired hobbit stepped away for the door only to hear a slight thump and an odd noise that came from the other side.

Little did he know, the wizard had been marking the door using an ancient ruin so that the visitors would know which house they were to meet at.

Wondering about the noise, the hobbit peered out through the deep set window beside the door only to jump back with surprise when he found a bright blue eye staring back at him. Quickly retreating deep into his home, the hobbit hid in one of the tunnel like hallways until the wizard had left.

Releasing a deep sigh, he stepped a way from the wall and he tossed the letters onto his small wooden desk. That had been very odd. Very odd indeed.

Later that night, after the hobbit had attended to his luscious garden and a variety of other important tasks, he sat down at his small kitchen table to dine on a fine meal of fried fish.

Folding his napkin into his shirt, the hobbit added the final touches to his lovely meal when the small bell beside the door rang. The humming that the hobbit had been doing ceased and he looked up from his supper.

Heading to the door, he was surprised to find a rather tall figure standing and looking out into the darkness that had fallen upon the Shire.

The first thought that went through Bilbo's mind was one of fear. This man looked rather intimidating with his towering height, bald head, and tattoos. Of course the man wasn't overly large, seeing how he was only a dwarf.

In a deep voice, the dwarf turned and bowed to the hobbit, "Dwalin. At your service."

Bilbo could only stand in shock for a moment before he realized he was in his night clothes. Tying his robe shut over his front, the hobbit bowed back with a, "Bilbo Baggins at yours..."

Before the hobbit could say anything else, the dwarf stepped into the hobbit's home, immediately making the room feel ten times smaller.

"Do we know each other?" Bilbo squeaked.

"No." The dwarf walked passed the hobbit and into his home, the hobbit looking after him like he was mad. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?"

"Is what down where?"

"Supper! He said that there would be food and a lot of it!" He tossed his heavy cloak into the hobbit's waiting arms.

"He said? Who said?" A few minutes later, Bilbo was sitting behind the large dwarf, watching him devour all the food he had recently cooked. A frown marred his features as he watched his delicious fish being ripped apart.

"Very good, this!" The dwarf grumbled as he cleaned the meat off the bones of the fish before throwing it back down on the plate. "Anymore?" Dwalin asked and the hobbit slowly stood up and walked over to the sink to pick up the basket of biscuits he had made that very morning. Slipping one into his pocket, Bilbo placed the bowl onto the table.

He watched as the dwarf began to engorge on the freshly made rolls. Wrinkling up his nose in disgust, Bilbo moved from his place to stand beside the dwarf.

"It's just that, um... I wasn't expecting company!" Bilbo said as Dwalin made another grunting noise as he stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.

Suddenly, the bell for the door rang again causing Bilbo's head to snap in that direction. He swallowed nervously, not wanting to answer the door for fear of who or what laid behind it.

"That'll be the door..." Dwalin grumbled as he stuffed more food into his mouth. Shuffling to the door, the hobbit only hesitated in answering the door because of the sudden uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Turning the golden knob, Bilbo pulled the door open to reveal another dwarf, this one shorter than the first. His hair was white as snow and unlike Dwalin, this dwarf greeted his host with a quick smile.

"Balin! At your service!" He bowed rather spryly for an older dwarf and Bilbo felt more at ease with Balin than Dwalin.

"Good evening." Bilbo greeted quietly, glad that this dwarf had actually greeted him.

"Yes! Yes it is! But, I think it might rain later... Am I late?" The white bearded dwarf asked as he stepped inside, closer to Bilbo. He was glad that this dwarf was at least closer in height to his own height than Dwalin was.

"Late for what?" However, the dwarf's attention was drawn away.

"Oh!" He chuckled deeply. "Evening brother!" The smaller dwarf chimed and Bilbo noticed that the dark haired dwarf had been playing with one of his antiques. Dwalin also chuckled merrily, an odd sound coming from the dwarf.

"By my beard! You're shorter than last we met!" Dwalin teased.

"Wider, not shorter... Sharp enough for both of us!" Both dwarves chuckled once more. The hobbit watched in fascination as Dwalin braced his brother's shoulders before smashing their heads together in a brotherly greeting. Bilbo could almost feel the pain in his own skull and was completely surprised when the dwarves didn't react at all.

Stepping forward, Bilbo moved to question the dwarves, "Um... E-Excuse me? I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house..." He tried to reason with them but they continued to chuckle as they moved to the hobbit's pantry.

The dwarves began to rifle through his stock, throwing an apparently "riddled with mold and blue", yet perfectly good piece of cheese, over their shoulders to land on the floor a few feet away from him.

"It's not that I don't like visitors as much as the next hobbit... But I do like to know them before they come... _visiting_." It appeared as though the hobbit was being completely ignored by the dwarves and he sighed in frustration. "Not in the slightest..."

"I don't mean to be blunt but I have to speak my mind... I'm sorry!" Bilbo held up his hands and both dwarves stopped and turned to look at him, Balin smiling at him before adding an, "Apology accepted!"

Wondering if he had heard Balin correctly, the hobbit was jostled from his thoughts when the bell for the door rang once again. Slowly turning his head around, his eyes locked on the door, the chatter of the dwarves behind him forgotten.

Turning the knob once again, he pulled the door back to reveal not one but _two_ dwarves. Both simply looked at the hobbit for a moment, wondering what to do. Finally, the blonde dwarf of the two spoke up.

"Fili!"

"And Kili!"

"At your service!" They said in unison as they bowed and Bilbo wondered how long they had rehearsed that little bit.

"You must be Mister Boggins!?" Kili said as he offered a wide smile to the hobbit. Bilbo swore he felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. This dwarf hadn't even gotten his name right. However, he noticed that both these dwarves were significantly younger than the two already in his home. Bilbo began to panic._ Four dwarves?! What kind of company is this?_ He thought to himself.

"Nope! You can't come in! You've come to the wrong house!" Bilbo began to force the door shut but was stopped by Kili, or was it Fili? The hobbit didn't really care at the moment. He forced the door back open before a look of sadness pulled at the dark haired dwarf's features.

"Has it been cancelled?" He asked as the other dwarf stepped up beside his friend or, judging on how their names rhymed and how they acted towards one another, brother. "No one told us..." The blonde dwarf looked extremely confused at the moment.

"Cancelled? No, nothing has been cancelled!"

"Well that's a relief!" The dark haired dwarf pushed his way past the hobbit. The blonde dwarf could only offer the hobbit a slight bob of his head as if apologizing for his brother's actions before following said dwarf inside.

"Careful with these! I've just had them sharpened!" Fili said as he tossed his dual swords into Bilbo's small arms. Kili had disappeared for a moment before reappearing from a different corridor down the way.

"It's nice, this place! Did you do it yourself?" The younger dwarf asked as he began to scrape his boot on a random edge he could find, trying to rid it of the mud that had gathered on its sole. Bilbo only looked over his shoulder as Fili began to weigh him down with many more weapons.

"No! It's been in my family for years... That's my mother's glory box! Can you please not do that?" The hobbit protested but he hardly risked moving seeing how he had an armful of very sharp weapons.

"Kili! Fili! Come on, give us a hand!" Dwalin came from the pantry and slung his arm around the dark haired dwarf's shoulders.

"Mr. Dwalin!" He greeted as if in awe, having not seen the battle hardened warrior in years. Fili soon followed his brother, leaving Bilbo with an armful of weapons. They both gave Balin friendly pats on the arm, the older dwarf asking for their help to move the wooden cabinet in the small dining room.

"We'll never get everyone in!" Balin said as he began to lift the wooden item with the help of Fili.

"Wait! How many more are there?" Bilbo squeaked as he watched the dwarves move to begin working. Just then, the bell to the door rang again and Bilbo felt the blood drain from his face. "Oh, no..." Bilbo began marching towards the door. "No! There is nobody home!" Bilbo didnt' realize that he was contradicting himself as he tossed all of Fili's weapons to the side. "Go away and bother somebody else! There's far to many _dwarves_ in my dinning room as it is! If this is some clothead's idea of a joke...!" He laughed, a hint of insanity hiding beneath the surface. "I can only say that it is in _very_ poor taste!"

Yanking the door open, the hobbit was a bit startled when a wave of dwarves came crashing towards him. He stood back and blinked for a moment, completely and utterly stunned into silence.

All the dwarves protested and growled at each other as they struggled to get up, the whole motley grew looking rough with all their disheveled clothes and dirty faces. However, a tall man stood outside and Bilbo recognized the gray robes.

Said man bent down to peer inside the hobbit-hole, offering a small smile in greeting.

"Gandalf..." He sighed heavily and the wizard could only guess how hard a night the small creature was having seeing how this was his first time entertaining dwarves.

Before he could stop them, the dwarves had moved to the hobbit's well stocked pantry and had begun to empty it. No matter how much the hobbit protested, he could not stop the dwarves from taking all his food.

Countless times he had warned the dwarves to, "Put that back!" as he pointed at the food in their hands. However, they would only brush him away before moving passed him and into the small dining room.

"A tad excessive isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?" Bilbo groaned as he watched a plump dwarf carry three wheels off cheese deep from within his pantry.

"Cheese knife?!" Another replied with amusement in his voice. Bilbo turned to look at the dwarf and blinked rapidly as he took in his very odd hat that sat upon his head. "He eats it by the block!" He warned before carrying a ham into the crowded room. Bilbo watched him go for a moment before he saw a gray haired dwarf carrying one of his antique chairs into the dinning room.

"No! Take this back!" He pointed back to one of his other rooms but the dwarf simply replied, "I can't 'ear you!"

The other dwarves went about on their way as they set the table with help from Gandalf. After declining an offer of freshly brewed chamomile tea, the wizard stood in the small hallway between the pantry and dining room, counting the numerous dwarves on his fingers.

"Fili, Kili... Oin, Gloin... Dwalin, Balin... Bifur, Bofur, Bombur... Dori, Nori, Ori!" He watched as the hobbit gathered up enough courage to rip a basket of tomatoes from the youngest dwarf's hands. Only counting twelve dwarves, the wizard grumbled to himself. "We appear to be one dwarf short..."

"He is late as all. He traveled north to a meeting of our kin. He will come..." Dwalin reassured the distressed wizard before he took a long swig from his large mug filled with ale. As Dori offered him the small glass of red wine, the wizard was more than happy to consume the beverage, even if it was in a small quantity.

"And I see that my special quest has yet to appear as well... Late as usual..." Gandalf grumbled yet his voice was lost in the loud excitement of the dwarves as they prepared to sit down to eat.

It wasn't long before they were all seated and were picking food from the various containers before either dropping them onto their plate or shoving it into their mouths. A particularly loud cheer came from the dining room when Bofur tossed his brother a small onion, which in return Bombur had caught in his mouth.

Bilbo could only stand outside the small entry way and fidget around when he saw food flying through the air. Glancing back at his pantry, his spirits shriveled greatly when he saw that only a few small pieces of food lay here and there from where they had fallen from a plate of food. However, the hobbit was a bit too preoccupied by his pantry to notice that Fili had soon taken to walking on the tabletop seeing as how he had been stuck in the corner beside his brother with no way to get out but to try and navigate through the maze-like house. The blonde dwarf offered them all an ale as he carried two handfuls. Of course, they all accepted.

"TANK UP!" Kili cheered, all the dwarves toasting in the center of the table before throwing their heads back and letting the amber liquid dribble down their chins and soak their beards. The burping soon began and they all laughed loudly when the loudest and strongest burp came from young Ori.

All the while, Bilbo's rage continued to build. As supper began to wind down a bit, the hobbit followed one of them into the kitchen and he was determined to stop the happenings in his home.

"Excuse me! That is a doily, not a dishcloth!" He ripped the fragile piece of material from the dwarf's grubby fingers. Bilbo held it up to examine it and he was relieved to find that not to much damage had been done.

"But it's full of holes!" The dwarf with the strange hat from before commented as he leaned against the wall.

"It's supposed to look like that! It's crochet!"

"Oh and a wonderful game it is too... If you've got the balls for it!" The dwarf teased and Bilbo could only hide the doily in a vase before pinching the bride of his nose between his fingers.

"My dear Bilbo, what on Earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked as he entered the hobbit-sized kitchen and saw that his small friend was in distress.

"What's the matter?!" Bilbo asked in disbelief. "I'm surrounded by dwarves! What are they doing here!?" He asked in a slightly hushed tone. Gandalf could only chuckle as he watched Nori and Bofur fight over a chain of sausages.

"Oh they're quite a merry gathering once you get used to them!" Gandalf said and Bilbo began to pull the wizard back towards the entry hall.

"I don't want to get used to them! The state of my kitchen! There's mud trod into the carpet! T-They've pillaged the pantry! I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom! They've all but destroyed the plumbing! I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" Bilbo's rage that had built had finally released itself and his shoulders slumped once he was rid of it. He was about to go on when a quiet voice was heard.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt but what should I do with my plate?" Ori, the youngest and shyest of dwarves smiled politely at the hobbit. The subtle sound of a rhythmic tapping came from inside the dining room.

"Here you go, Ori! Give it to me!" Fili said as he took the plate from his hands and nonchalantly tossed it down the hallway. Bilbo about cried out in terror but was silenced when Kili casually caught it and threw it into the kitchen, only to be caught by Bifur. The dwarves continuously threw their plates to the young dwarf before he tossed them to his brother.

Bilbo began to cry out in protest but had to duck to avoid his flying dishes. The dwarves still seated at the dinner table pounded their fists against the table and scrapped their forks and knives together creating a sweet metallic _shink_.

"C-Can you not do that?! You'll blunt them!"

"Oh, do ya hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives!" Bofur taunted as they continued to stomp their boots against the wooden floor to set the rhythm.

"_Blunt the knives, bend the forks_!" Kili began the tune, only for it to be picked up by his brother.

"_Smash the bottles and burn the corks_!" Fili added and it wasn't long until the rest of the dwarves joined in the merry singing with, "_Chip the glasses and crack the plates... That's what Bilbo Baggins hates_!"

"_Cut the cloth and trail the fat! Leave the bones on the bedroom mat! Pour the milk on the pantry floor! Splash the wine on every door_!" Systematically, dishes where being throwing into stacks and balanced as they were carried to and from the kitchen. Bilbo's mouth hung wide open as he watched his dishes fly through the air, not one of them ever crashing to the ground.

"_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl! Pound them up with a thumping pole! And when you've finished, if they are whole... Send them down the hall to roll_!" The hobbit swore he heard clarinet music and when he peaked his head inside once more, he saw the dwarf with the hat from before, blowing away at the handcrafted instrument. Dwalin had also retrieved what appeared to be a small lute and began to play during the song as well.

"_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates_!" The song ended on that note with all the dwarves laughing and cheery at the huffing hobbit. Storming into the dinning room, he was amazed to see all his dishes cleaned and stacked in a neat pile before him. Most of the dwarves had retrieved their pipes but the laughter seemed to halt all together when a resounding _knock, knock, knock_ came from the front door.

The dwarves instantly sobered at the sound, all of them turning to look in the direction of the entrance. Gandalf only lowered the pipe from his mouth and mused to himself. Just by the sound of the knock, he knew that the person who had arrived was not the guest he had most eagerly been awaiting.

"He is here..." The wizard said quietly and all the dwarves filed out to stand around the front door. For, it was Bilbo's duty to answer it as the owner of the household. Wondering why the sudden soberness of his latest company, he was a bit nervous as to who was standing on his doorstep.

When he pulled the door back, he only found there to be another dwarf that wanted to come in. However, Bilbo instantly detected the authority and power that he held over the others as they were all silent when his face came into view.

"Gandalf..." He greeted the wizard in a deep and rumbling tone. Stepping up towards the door, the dwarf said, "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, _twice_..." Some of the dwarves snickered at his statement, the same thing happening to them only a few hours ago.

"I would have not found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door..." He explained as he unbuckled his cloak from around his shoulders. Bilbo's ears perked at that statement.

"Mark? There is no mark on that door! It was painted a week ago!"

"There is a mark. I put it there myself!" Gandalf revealed, causing the hobbit to grumble and glare at him. However, the wizard decided to direct his attention away from himself and instead to the newest attention to the dwarves. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." The hobbit turned to look at the aforementioned dwarf who had a small look of amusement on his face.

"So, this is the hobbit..." Bilbo could only swallow as the dark haired dwarf looked him over and for the first time, Bilbo thought he had seen the dwarf before. Looking over the leader's shoulder, Bilbo saw Fili standing next to Kili who looked strikingly similar to the dwarf before him. _A relative, maybe?_ He thought to himself.

"Tell me Mr. Baggins... Have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" He squeaked as the dwarf walked behind him.

"Ax or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Bilbo was caught off guard by his sudden question, wondering why he would need to know if Bilbo could even use a weapon. It was common knowledge that hobbits were a gentle folk and never turned to violence in the time of need.

"Well, I do have some skill at conkers if you must know... But I fail to see why that's relevant..." His tone dropped down to one that exuded confidence to one that was embarrassed with himself by what he had just said.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar!" The rest of the dwarves chuckled quietly but Bilbo was a bit hurt by the leader's words. The soon all returned to the dining room where Thorin sat at the head of the table. A pot of stew had been made in preparation of his arrival, courtesy of Bombur and a bowl was placed before him, along with a tall mug of ale.

"What news from the meeting of Ered Luin?" Balin began and Bilbo listened how Thorin explained that they had their support from the other Kingdoms until Dwalin decided to ask about his cousin, Dain and if they had support from the Iron Hills.

"They will not come..." Was his slightly bitter and simple reply. A wave of distress washed through the entire company and Gandalf merely sat back and listened to the ongoing discussion. "They say this quest is ours and ours alone..."

"Y-You're going on a quest?" Was Bilbo's quiet question, for he had been listening the entire time.

"Bilbo! My dear fellow! Let us have a little more light!" The wizard requested and the hobbit quietly moved off to find more candles. "Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak..." The man clothed in gray reached into the folds of his robes and retrieved a piece of warn parchment. Unfolding it on the table, he laid it out before Thorin.

Bilbo was able to step forward with a candle in his hand and read the words, "The Lonely Mountain."

"Aye! Oin has read the portence and the portence say it is time!" Gloin added upon hearing Bilbo's words read from the map. A whole world of confusion came crashing down upon the small hobbit. _The Lonely Mountain?_

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold..." The near deaf dwarf elaborated and went onto tell how the ravens signified that the reign of the beast would be over. Bilbo had wandered back into his pantry to sulk but stopped upon hearing about the beast.

"Well, what beast?" Gandalf turned to look at the hobbit as he smoked his pipe.

"Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible!" Bofur pipped up from beside Thorin. "Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather... Teeth like razors... Claws like meat hooks... Extremely fond of precious metals!"

"Yes, I know what a _dragon_ is!" The hobbit continued to wander into the dinning room once more.

"I'm not afraid!" Young Ori stood up from his place near the end of the table. "I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!" The dwarves were a bit divided on whether to protest or to laugh. Kili and Fili found it rather amusing that the dwarf even younger than them had said something and demanded attention like he had. He was always rather shy.

"Sit down!" His brothers commanded and he complied easily.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us! But we number just thirteen, not thirteen of the best nor brightest..." Balin proclaimed and another murmur of disagreement swept over the company of dwarves.

Gandalf could only puff on his pipe smugly to himself and not say a word.

"We may be few in number but we're fighters! All of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili explained from his place beside his brother. Bilbo was a bit surprised at his words, seeing how young he was compared to some others in the company.

"And you forget we have a wizard in our company! Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" Some of the dwarves seemed to agree with Kili when he spoke and they turned to look at said wizard.

"Oh, well now! I-I wouldn't say..."

"How many then?" Another dwarf inquired.

"What?" Lightning suddenly flashed outside and none of them had realized that it had been raining steadily ever since Thorin had arrived.

"How many dragons have you killed?" Dori asked once more, trying to make his statement just a tad bit clearer. However, Gandalf did not seem to want to answer this question and instead began to cough and sputter. "Go on, then! Give us a number!"

For some reason, this caused all the dwarves to erupt in an out roar. Shouting broke out and Bilbo didn't understand why they were all suddenly so angry. They just continued to yell across the table at one another. It wasn't until Thorin decided to interject with a shout of, "ENOUGH!"

And it was now at this time when the dwarves fell silent, that they did hear it. The bell at the door tinkled down the hallway. Immediately, all dwarves turned to one another and began to take a silent count of the company. They all came up with same number. Thirteen.

Even now, Bilbo was extremely confused and bewildered. They said that they were a company of thirteen and here they all were. But the real question was: _Who was at the door?_

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**You know what do do?**

**Read and review! :P**

**Thanks guys and stay tuned!**

**Love,**

**Blue**


	2. Chapter 2

**HOLY COW! I GOT FIVE REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Alright, in this chapter my OC appears and I don't know if you will, but I rather like her. She's a bit of a smart ass and likes messing with poor Bilbo.**

**But you'll see that her joining into the Company won't be very welcomed...**

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Thorin was still standing from when he had shouted to calm the chaos in the small house. Glancing over his shoulder at the hobbit, he then looked to the wizard for an answer to his next question.

"Who knows of our gathering?" His tone was icy cold as his blue eyes glared at the wizard. However, Gandalf did not answer and instead took another long drag from his pipe to calm his nerves. The bell rang a second and third time.

"I-It could just be someone inquiring about the ruckus coming from my home..." Bilbo tried to draw everyone's attention away from poor Gandalf. He was just an old man after all.

"I'm afraid that is exactly the opposite of the case, my good fellow!" Gandalf quipped as they all sat in silence again. Lightening flashed and thunder rolled. It wasn't until this time that there came a harsh _BANG, BANG, BANG _from the front door, causing most of the dwarves to jump. They had just finished talking about Smaug the Terrible after all.

Gandalf could only chuckle to himself as he rose from his chair. After that small incident, he knew exactly who was at the door. Always had been a bit testy.

"What do you mean?" Bilbo asked as the wizard rose from his place.

"I do believe that Ren has finally arrived!" He ducked under the threshold of the dinning room entrance, the dwarves quickly rising themselves. Kili began to shove his brother in the back, trying to get towards the front of the group so he could see exactly what they were talking about.

"_Ren_?" Thorin inquired, having caught that small detail in the wizard's statement. It sounded as thought Gandalf was bringing a Ranger into the group. Only one of the wild men from the North would have such an odd name. "You never told me about this... _Ren_." Thorin spat the name, not knowing if he should really trust the new arrival. His eyes were narrowed as he waited for an answer, his face illuminated by the flash of lightning that came through the windows.

The only people who were supposed to know about their quest to Erebor were twelve of his most trusted friends and relatives, one hobbit, and a wizard.

"Indeed. But I believe that you will be a surprised! For you will never come across another like her..." They all stood before the door know. Gandalf was pleasantly surprised when none of the dwarves had caught his little slip up in the last sentence. If they had caught it, then the door would most certainly not be allowed to open.

Bilbo came stumbling into the room, having to elbow his way through the sea of dwarves. Straightening out his shirt and suspenders, he took a deep breath before he even ran a hand through his mess of curls.

Slowly turning the knob, Bilbo drew the door back and about flinched, for fear still filled his stomach from the tale of Smaug. However, he would later scold himself. Why would he ever been afraid as someone like Ren?

For the figure before him was facing away from him with the hood of its cloak pulled up over its head so they could take cover from the heavy rain. The sky had long ago grown dark and the water dripped from the figure's dark green cloak. It seemed to be watching the night for any sign of movement and upon hearing the door open, it turned and Bilbo was a bit surprised to see slight annoyance on the person's face.

All who had watched the events unfold had their mouth open. Never would they have thought Gandalf would have invited a _woman_ into their company.

"Gandalf." The woman peered right passed the hobbit to the towering form of the man behind him. A large and wonderful smile lit her face, causing all the younger dwarves in the room to swallow nervously. The wizard's lips twitched up into a smile at how familiar the greeting had sounded, seeing how he only received the same one not yet an hour ago.

"Aye, I was right. I knew it was going to rain later..." Bilbo heard Balin mumble to his brother who chuckled quietly. The woman took a few steps up towards the door and Bilbo realized that she had been leaving down his stone lane when he had answered the door.

"You're late!" The wizard scolded her slightly and she shook her head with a bemused expression on her face. The first thing Bilbo had come to notice was that she was rather tall and had to bend down to look inside his home.

"It is not my fault! You were lucky that I did not lose my way!" She quipped, an amused expression now lifting Gandalf's face. Finding Thorin in the crowd, he shared a knowing look with the dark haired dwarf which was rather dark with anger on the dwarf's end. He was not pleased with this new discovery.

It was then at this time that her striking blue eyes found little Bilbo and her lips quirked momentarily.

"Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, I presume?" He slowly nodded his head, his mane of curls bouncing slightly in the wind. Rain splattered his face from outdoors but he did not flinch and he did not move. He was too stunned to move. She smiled brightly. "Wonderful then! That situation would have taken an awkward turn upon finding a beardless dwarf instead of my hobbit host!"

She was a rather cheery thing as well.

"Um... W-Would you like to come in?" Bilbo squeaked as his eyes took in her form. Now that he really looked at her, she was rather young and didn't appear as old as she had appeared the first time he saw her.

"No, I would actually like to remain outside in the rain. My journey was not all that long and tiring..." Her tone was calm and, honestly, Bilbo didn't know if she was pulling his leg or not. But as he gazed at her soft features up close, her words fell deaf upon his ears.

She was beautiful despite the fact that she had small splatters of mud covering her skin. She must have indeed traveled a fair distance, not having time to stop and wash her face before she was presented before her host.

He, at one point, believed that the woman before him was an elf. But as he looked at her now, he realized that an elf would never allow herself to be covered in mud as such even if she was to be late to a gathering of normally filthy dwarves.

"Now, now, Ren! No need to torment the hobbit! He has had enough excitement on this night to last him a lifetime!" The wizard pulled the hobbit back so the woman could come inside. Bilbo's cheeks blazed red with embarrassment.

She bent down once again to step inside the quaint little hole. However, she stopped short when she saw that thirteen pairs of eyes were trained on her. She merely smiled slightly and continued to come inside until she stood up, her hooded head just bumping the chandelier, for she was just that much to tall. Ducking out of the way, her hands came from underneath her cloak to steady the swinging object.

Gandalf closed the door behind her and she soon pushed her hood down before shaking out her dampened hair. It fell in short golden waves down only just to the center of her chest. All the dwarves who were present exchanged a few glances. Women were usually known to have long hair.

It was also at this time that Kili had finally made it into the room, seeing how his brother's large head and rather wide body was in the way. He stumbled his way to the front and the dark haired dwarf could only stop and stare as his mouth fell open.

Immediately, he turned to his brother and whispered, "Can I marry her?" Fili dealt a swift punch to his brother's shoulder before their uncle cast them a warning glance after Kili made a small sound of noise. The young dwarf rubbed his sore shoulder. Kili didn't understand why he was punched. It was honestly the truth. She was lovely with the water running down her hair, the droplets illuminated by the flickering flames in the chandelier above her.

"Good evening!" She told the wizard once again, actually giving him a proper greeting. Gandalf's lips twitched up at her remark.

"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good evening or mean that it is a good evening whether I want it or not? Or that you feel good this evening? Or that it is a evening to be good on?" He questioned her just as he questioned the hobbit that very morning. Looking up to the woman's face, he saw her nose wrinkle up for a moment. Swallowing the troublesome butterflies in his stomach, Bilbo then decided to be a helpful host and leaned towards her.

"I think it's a trick question..." He whispered and her lips quirked up upon hearing his words. Her head nodded only slightly before she straightened her back and looked the wizard directly in the eye, accepting his challenge.

"Well... I guess that it just depends on how you are feeling yourself. You may certainly have a good evening but that does not necessarily mean that this particular evening will be good. Also, it would depend on my mood as well for I have yet to see if I indeed feel good on this evening. And due to the future events I would certainly hope that this evening is one to be good on!" Bilbo felt his jaw go slack this time at her windy response to the wizard.

Looking back to the dwarves, he also saw that some of their mouths hung open, most of them not even catching all the wizard's questions. Then, looking to Gandalf, he saw a sense of pride enter his blue eyes and a smile form on his face.

"My child, you never change!" He chuckled as she stepped forward as well to tightly embrace the wizard. Her laughter was soothing and warm as well, which extinguished any doubt Bilbo had about the unknown kindness of the woman before him. And if Gandalf was so happy to see his friend, that must have meant that she was a good person.

"It has been too long, Gandalf!" She smiled as she stepped back from the wizard and he held her at arms length before shaking his head as if not believing something. Unbuckling the intricate metal clasp from around her neck, she was surprised when a pair of hands took the wet cloak right from her shoulders.

Turning around, she was surprised to find that a young dwarf had stepped up to help her. He was rather short, as all dwarves were, and his hair was as dark as the night sky outside. Folding her dark green cloak over his arm, he bowed his head and responded, "Kili, at your service, my lady!" His response was rather sheepish and unlike the dwarf's usual self.

It was now Fili's turn for his mouth to fall open in shock. He hadn't even know his brother had left his side until he appeared behind the woman. Thorin was angry yet at the same time proud of his nephew, showing that he actually recalled the manners Thorin had taught him all those years ago. Yet he did not like the idea of a woman in his Company.

"Thank you, Kili." He continued to hold onto her fine cloak, a slight blush on his stubble covered cheeks. He liked the way she said his name. She also pulled a satchel from across her chest and placed it on a chair across the room. This did not go unnoticed by a few certain members of the company.

Straightening out her long deep red tunic, she also adjusted the black leather jerkin covering it before she looked down at lest fine leather boots for mud. That was another oddity that made the dwarves whisper among themselves. She was wearing breeches.

"Ren!" Gandalf stepped forward towards the girl and pulled her attention away from her rumbled clothing. Placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder, he pulled the dwarf into view. He had been brooding in the shadows the entire time, for he was suspicious of the woman, _no_, girl. He had not agreed to let someone such as herself into the Company.

From the soft look about her, Thorin knew that she would most likely be more of a hindrance than a help on their way to Erebor. She was someone who had lived a soft and cushioned life.

"I would like for you to meet Thorin Oakenshield and his fine Company!" He motioned around the room and to the dark haired dwarf before him. She only smiled and looked around the room. Most of the dwarves were either scowling at her or were still gazing at her with bewilderment. "This is Ren, one of my oldest and loyalist of friends... We have partaken on many adventures together!"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Oakenshield..." She bowed deeply to the kingly dwarf before her. The dwarf was not so impressed.

"I wish I could say the same..." Thorin grumbled before looking away from her and up at Gandalf. "We already have our fourteenth member..." He glanced at the hobbit who had moved to stand more behind the wizard as if hiding.

"Indeed... but she won't necessarily have to _belong_ to the company. For you see, she is only here for my well being and on my request alone!" Gandalf did not know how she would react to Thorin's harsh words. As he looked at her, he only saw the passive look on her face as she listened to their exchange.

"What skill does she possess that we do not already have?"

"If I am not mistaken, I do believe you are in great need for an experienced healer, yes?" The king was silent for a moment. It was true, they were without a healer. Dori had always been the healer of the company but Thorin did not believe that he could ever take care of very serious injuries. "You know I will not be with you the entire journey and what if someone were to become gravely injured? What would you do?" The dwarf lord could feel his patience wearing thin.

"We will discuss this later. We have more important issues to attend to..." Thorin growled as he made his way back to the dining room. The dwarves soon began to follow behind him and Gandalf stayed a moment to talk with the blonde girl.

"Bilbo, my fellow, if you would...?" Gandalf inclined his head and the hobbit could only nod before leaving the room. However, from his place outside the dinning room, he could hear them speaking to one another in hushed voices. With his sharp ears, the hobbit was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

"I did as you asked! No weapons. _One_ knife! Boot. Completely Undefended. Trust issues. Simply _hobbits_! Kind folk. _Dwarves_!" Biblo listened to the two converse and his eyes narrowed slightly. Who was this woman and what exactly was she talking about?

Pulling up another chair, the dwarves placed it at the other end of the table. Bombur also retrieved a warm bowl of soup out for the lovely lady and had it passed down the table until it rested in the empty place directly across from Thorin on the opposing end of the table.

A moment later, the voices from the hall seemed to halt and Lady Ren came into the room from the door at the other end of the hall.

"We made a spot for you here!" Kili patted the table where she was to sit. She stopped short, seeing the room full of dwarves seated and waiting for her. Her blue eyes cast themselves around the room before she walked towards the chair offered to her.

Kili moved to pull back her chair for her but was forced back down into his seat as his brother scrambled towards her instead. Ren was a bit surprised as the single blonde dwarf in the company appeared by her side and pulled her chair out for her. What a gentlemen.

Slowly sitting down, he helped her to scoot in before leaning down so that his lips were level with her ear.

"Fili, at your service, my lady!" His warm breath tickled her ear and her lips turned up slightly. He moved back to his seat where his brother sat waiting to kick him under the table. For as the dwarves took in her person, they realized that she had washed up in the hobbit's bathroom and the flecks of mud and grime were gone from her face.

Thorin whispered something to Dwalin that went unheard by the woman. Both dwarves just chuckled before the large warrior rose from his place and went into the pantry. He returned only a minute later with a mug in his hand that was filled to the brim with foamy ale.

As she spooned some of the stew into her mouth, she glanced up to find the ale before her. She continued to chew the food in her mouth before her eyes left the mug to find Thorin's across the table.

They were offering up a silent challenge. A challenge for her, a woman of decent stature, to take a drink of the vile amber liquid before her and lower herself to their level. Her eye brow twitched with amusement before she picked up the mug and swirled the liquid around inside.

"It has been a long journey..." She shrugged her shoulders before throwing her head back, much to the dwarves' surprise. Kili and Fili watched with amazement as not a single drop spilled down her chin. She did not take a breath, she did not sputter. She could drink like a man!

As she finished her drink, she flipped the empty mug upside down before calmly placing it on the table.

Looking back to Thorin, she kicked her chair back from the table, grabbed her bowl of stew, and placed her booted feet upon the tabletop. Gandalf only chuckled to himself, the true Ren creeping out from the emotional wall that she had built around herself whenever she met strangers.

"So, what exactly are all your names?" She asked suddenly as she swallowed another spoonful of stew. All the dwarves turned to look at her.

"Ah, yes! Introductions!" Gandalf clapped his hands together as he prepared himself. "Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Gloin, Balin, Bofur, Thorin, Dwalin, Bifur, Oin, and you already know Fili and Kili..." Her eyes took in every dwarves' face as Gandalf said their name, trying to commit them to memory. He had named every dwarf in the order around which they sat around the table.

"I think I have it..." She took a deep breath and held out her hand to point at each dwarf. "Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Gloin, Balin, Bofur, Thorin, Dwalin, Bifur, Oin, Fili and Kili!" She also had been counting them off on her fingers. "Thirteen? Correct? Thirteen dwarves?" She looked to Gandalf who nodded his head, slightly impressed.

Once again, they were all stunned into silence.

"That was brilliant!" Bilbo muttered from where he was standing in the hall between his pantry and the dinning room.

"Twas rather amazing wasn't it? But we must get back to the issue at hand..." Balin began and Ren's ears perked up. _Issue?_

"Indeed... If we have read these signs, do you not think others would have read them, too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years-"

"Smaug indeed has _not_ been seen for sixty years," All eyes looked to Ren as she spoke, effectively cutting off Thorin, "Why is the accursed dragon of such interest to _you_?" She leaned forward in her chair and rested her lips upon her intertwined fingers. The bowl sat forgotten on the table.

"The dragon is of no interest to us, he is simply a danger that is standing in our way..." Balin explained, seeing how Thorin would most likely not answer since his eyes were narrowed on the girl. She simply nodded and inclined her head for Thorin to continue. And he did.

"Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk... Perhaps the vast wealth of our people lies unprotected. Do we sit back and let others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we cease this chance to take back Erebor!" During his whole speech, Thorin had risen from his chair and was standing.

A round of cheers erupted around the room from the dwarves and another mug of ale was pushed into Ren's hands. Raising it up, she toasted with a slight smile before dumping it back again without another thought, seeing the celebration of the others around her.

"You forget that the front gate is sealed! There is no way into the mountain!" Balin said and Thorin dropped wearily back onto his rear.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true!" Gandalf held his hand out and they all watched with fascination as a key suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Ren only sat back still, not fazed by the wizard's tricks. After years of knowing the wizard, his wondrous displays were hardly distracting. She had nearly seen them all.

"How came you by this?" Thorin asked, his voice full of wonder.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safe keeping. It is yours now!" The wizard carefully handed the odd looking key to the rightful King Under the Mountain. All the dwarves watched as Thorin carefully brought the key into his thick dwarvish fingers and examined it.

"If there is a key... then there must be a door!" Fili exclaimed. Ren had to keep the snort from exiting her nose.

"These ruins speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls..." Gandalf pointed to the map once more. Ren now noticed the piece of warn parchment that lay before both the wizard and Mr. Oakenshield.

"There's another way in!" Kili said from beside his brother. Sighing, she rubbed a hand over her face. Before this journey would be over, her years of practicing patients would dwindle rather quickly with the dwarves continuously stating the obvious.

"Well, if we can find it but dwarf doors are invisible when closed! The answer lies somewhere hidden in this map and I do not have the skill to find it but there are others in Middle Earth who can..." Thorin sent a dark look Gandalf's way, knowing exactly who they were talking about. Ren could only glance up at the mention of the dwarves' enemy before filling her mouth with more stew to keep herself silent.

"So you mean to venture to Erebor?" All eyes were drawn to her once again. She simply sat back in her chair, her cool blue eyes lay calculating the dwarf lord's every move. She had been unsuccessful in trying to quiet herself. That had always been a problem for her.

"Aye. Under the mountain? Passed the forests of Mirkwood? Just below lay the small down of Dale? The Lon-" Bofur began to explain, only for him to be cut off.

"Yes, yes! The Lonely Mountain! The once greatest kingdom in all Middle Earth! I'm not daft!" Her eyebrows drew together in a frown of annoyance and she pursed her lips.

"You know of our home?" Dwalin asked as he leaned more towards her. She only nodded her head before she responded with, "My eyes have long ago gazed up on the solitary peak just beyond the dark forest..."

"And what was a _girl_ like you doing near it? Surely a place as such would be much to dangerous for a maiden such as yourself to venture there..." Thorin asked her with a hint of condescension in his tone. Gandalf watched as she bristled with annoyance at his words. To be called a girl to her face was almost an insult. She was furthest from a child despite the fact that she acted as one at times.

"I was on business." She replied calmly, never skipping a beat. The dwarves began to fidget as the two pairs of eyes locked in a heated glare, neither one blinking. Neither backing down. Bilbo swallowed nervously as the tension in the air thickened.

"And what business was that?"

"That is my business to know and for you to leave alone..." There was a bite in her tone that encouraged the dwarf's eyebrow to incline slightly. The other dwarves held their breaths. No one talked to Thorin in that tone of voice. Ever. He leaned forward so that his hands were resting on wooden table before him.

The air was tense for another few moments before it was Thorin whose voice broke the silence.

"Ax or sword?" She inclined her own eyebrow in question. "Which do you prefer?" Understanding passed over her face and a slight smirk twitched up at the corners of her mouth before she answered.

"Bow." She replied simply, her arms crossing over her chest as she titled her chair back so that it was balanced on its two legs. Kili immediately elbowed his brother in the side, the latter of the which getting the wind knocked from the lungs at the solid blow. Kili wasn't the only to use a bow in the Company anymore. Grumbling to himself, Fili sent his younger brother a sharp look. Kili did not see it however as his eyes were trained on her relaxed form. "But I know my way around a sword well enough as well..."

Thorin seemed surprised at her answer, seeing the younger woman as the type to be of more gentle nature. Surely she would not be able to wield a weapon. Yet, considering her confident attitude and smirks, the young woman had apparently seen enough to know how to handle herself in a time of need.

Gandalf only smiled to himself before changing the subject, "The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done!"

"That's why we need a burglar!" Ori said from down the table who was seated on the other side of Bombur who was seated beside Ren.

"Hm! And a good one too! An _expert_!" Bilbo chimed from the hallway. Ren's eyes immediately found the hobbit who had been listening intently the entire time. She could almost hear his thoughts in her own head. _Dragon? Erebor? Wealth?_

"And _are_ you?" She asked, her lips turned upwards slightly, already knowing the answer. The bowl was back on the table and she was leaning forward as she spoke to the small creature.

"Am I what?"

"A burglar!" Ren exclaimed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose between her fingers. Yes, her patience would wear thin very quickly.

"He said he's an expert!" Oin laughed with glee also looking to the woman who slowly smiled in confirmation.

"M-Me?! No! I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!" He directed his answer more towards the woman watching him silently. He noticed a small shift in her demeanor before she leaned back once again.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins, he's hardly burglar material..." Balin began, only for his brother to finish with, "Aye. The Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves..." The other dwarves soon began to say their agreement in the matter, Bilbo also nodding and agreeing with the dwarves.

Ren merely sat back and watched the dwarves argue with one another. Exchanging a look with Gandalf, she simply sighed and shut her eyes, letting the roar around her dull into a hum.

"_Enough_! If I say that Bilbo Baggins is a burglar than a burglar he is!" Gandalf rose up from his chair, the candles in the room growing dim from the power that radiated outward from him. All the dwarves grew silent once more and Ren simply bit her lip. Angering Gandalf was never a good idea.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet! In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose... And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage!" The wizard sat down and looked to Thorin.

"You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins! There is a lot more to him than appearances suggest and he has a lot more to offer than any of you know... Including _himself_..." Biblo let his face take on a grateful look at the kind words of the wizard. "You must trust me on this!" Gandalf told Thorin before the wizard's eyes drifted to the maiden seated at the other end of the table. Receiving the silent message from Gandalf, Thorin waged a battle in his mind.

"Yet you have supplied us with fifteen members..." He grumbled, his blue eyes harshly settling back on the wizard. Sensing that she was of importance in this conversation, Ren opened her eyes and looked up.

"I promise you that she will be of assistance in more ways than one!" Gandalf said as he looked back at her. Her face was set in a slight frown yet her blue eyes held a certain mirth in them. Thorin then turned his eyes down to the girl at the other end of the table. Seeing the determined and almost loyal look in her eyes, he could only sigh deeply before looking at his hands.

"Very well... I will give her a chance to prove herself useful and we will do this your way... Give them a contract!" Both of the added members of the Company began to protest but were cut off by Balin.

"Just the usual! Summary of out of pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements and so forth..." The short dwarf handed the papers to Thorin who slapped them against Bilbo's chest. "Sorry, lass. You'll just have to share with Mr. Baggins!"

"No. That is quite alright..." Everyone in the room grew silent at her words. "Since I will not be part of the company and therefore do not require any sort of pay when we do reach Erebor, I will not require a contract..."

"But what if something happens to you?" Bofur said from his place between Balin and Thorin. She shifted her cool gaze to the dwarf with the silly hat and paused for a moment.

"Then something happens to me. Everyone has their time and if mine so happens to occur on this journey, then so be it! It's not as if anyone is going to be missing me..." Ren suddenly growled, causing the entire company's eyebrows to furrow together on their faces.

"You mean you don't have a family? A young lass like you! I bet you have all the lads chasin' after ya wanting to start havin' little blonde babes!" She was silent as she sat in her place, Bofur's face falling slightly from her dampening of the mood. "Not even a Ma or a Pa?" He asked quietly. Her eyes flashed up to the dwarf then, anger easily visible in their depths.

"They do not care for me." Her voice quaked with hidden emotions.

"Ren, you know that is not true! Your family loves you very much!" Gandalf rose from his place once more, his dark aura casting over the room once again. The girl shrank back in her chair slightly from the wizard scolding her.

"I find that very hard to believe..." She snapped, her teeth catching her lip between then to keep her lip from quivering in visible rage. Standing up to leave, she felt the room beginning to grow to small. Turning her back, her golden hair spun around her.

"Ren!" The wizard called after her. All the dwarves watched in silence as her form retreated back into the dark hallway of the hobbit's home. The mood from before was greatly dampened and all were silent once again.

"D-Did you say funeral arrangements?" Bilbo quietly opened the contract and began to read down the long list of agreements. Seeing how the hobbit was now preoccupied, Thorin leaned over to Gandalf.

"I cannot guarantee his safety... Or the girl's for that matter..."

"Understood..." Gandalf replied after a moment, his mind wandering back to the girl who had fled from the room so suddenly. He may have prodded at her to early in their quest. Glancing down the table, Gandalf noted that the two Durin heirs were looking down the hall were she had disappeared to.

"Nor will I be responsible for their fate..." The leader of the company continued. Gandalf paused in his mind's wandering for a moment.

"Agreed."

"Cash on delivery up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of the profit if any... That seems fair. Thorin and Company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained upon thereof but not limited to... lacerations... evisceration? _Incineration_?!" The hobbit squeaked as he read from the made up contract.

"Oh, aye!" Bofur chimed, "Melt the flesh right off your bones in the blink of an eye!" It was now at this time that Bilbo began to feel lightheaded. He let out a deep breath and it was easily visible to see him shaking.

"You alright, laddie?" Bilbo bent over and began to breath deeply, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"I feel a bit faint!" He said as he straightened up once he had regained a bit of air. His hands gripped the parchment tightly and he looked down at it for a moment, deciding what to do.

"Think furnace with wings!" Bofur continued, only adding to the ball of nerves that already churned in Bilbo's stomach. "Flash of light, searing pain then _poof_! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" Bilbo continued to teeter for a moment, the terrible thoughts of himself bursting into flames coursing through his mind. For a moment it felt that the world had stopped spinning and the hobbit was able to straighten up to his full height.

Never mind.

"Nope!" He said simply before collapsing to the ground. It was now at this time that the girl had entered that hallway when she saw the hobbit collapse in front of her. She calmly chewed the wonderful cinnamon pastry that was held in her hand, her blue eyes taking in his collapsed form. She had found the food hidden underneath the sink in the kitchen, almost as if someone were trying to save it for later or rather hide it from the dwarves. An odd little hobbit, Master Bilbo was.

Thorin looked up at her face as she calmly gazed down at the hobbit. The angry emotions that had previously been on her face were now gone and were replaced with a blank look.

Gently nudging the hobbit's side with her fine leather boot, the unconscious figure did not even move as she prodded his side. Popping the rest of the new pastry into her mouth, she chewed momentarily before saying, "Normally, they say the bigger you are, the harder you fall. I think that fact was not entirely true in this predicament..." She stated, recalling the resonating thud that the hobbit's body had caused.

This earned a quiet chuckle from the dwarves while she just gazed down at the unconscious hobbit with a quizzical look on her face. This would most certainly be a long journey indeed.

* * *

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**P.S. What do you think of Ren?**


	3. Chapter 3

With a little help from the Company of strong dwarves, the hobbit was hauled into his den before he was unceremoniously dropped into his soft arm chair. His head flopped to the side and his mouth hung open slightly.

Returning with the same bag from the foyer, Ren plunged her arm eblow deep into the leather bag before retrieving a small vile of something. Popping the small cork off the top, the girl waved it under the hobbit's nose.

His eyes fluttered open in surprise and his mouth shut. His mind was still a bit fuzzy and all he remembered was how he had collapsed onto the floor before the entire Company.

Oh, how embarrassing.

"How are you feeling, Master Baggins?" A soft voice asked. When he had awoken from his fainted state, he had at first believed that he was simply at home and the whole ordeal with the dwarves had simply been a bad dream.

However, as his eyes focused the beautiful woman crouched before him, he felt his cheeks grow warm. Before he could respond, a warm cup of tea was placed in his hands and lowering his eyes from her face, he took a small sip of it.

"I-I'll be alright..." He muttered, still embarrassed that he collapsed in the first place. "Just let me sit quietly for a moment..."

"You've been sitting quietly for far to long! Tell me, when did doileys and your mother's dishes become so important!?" Ren bit her lip before placing the cork back into the bottle.

Rising from her place before the hobbit, she moved quietly from the room without so much as another glance. Leaving the hobbit to be scolded in solitude, she returned to the foyer.

Placing her bag upon the same hook as her dark green cloak, she placed the bottle back into the deep bag. Feeling eyes upon her, she turned her head to see the seemingly brooding dwarf lord who had been discussing something quietly with Balin in the tunneled hall.

Holding his gaze for a moment, she noticed his eyes flicker to the bag in her hands. Gripping the strap tightly in her hands, the leather of her fingerless gloves squealed in protest. Slinging the bag back over her shoulder, she moved back down one of the various hallways in the hobbit-hole.

As she was walking passed another dark hallway, a sword came out of nowhere and sunk into the wood before her neck. Reacting as she normally would, her brain was well aware of the fact that her only weapon was the sole knife dropped into her boot. Quickly withdrawing it, she spun away from the blade and crouched low, the fine blade clutched tightly in her fingers and her blue eyes blazing like fire.

Following the arm that was attached to the sword, her eyes narrowed on the blonde dwarf who was smirking in her direction.

"Very good!" Fili purred as he wretched his sword free from the wood. He examined the blade in his palms. "I've just had them sharpened..." He explained as his fingers trailed down the shinning silver sword. Realizing that he was not going to attack her anymore, the girl relaxed and she slowly rose from her defensive position.

"Why did you attack me?"

"He wasn't attacking you!" Another voice called from the dark doorway across from where Fili had been standing. She narrowed her eyes until they adjusted and easily recognized that the new voice came from Kili. "We were simply testing you!"

"Testing me?" She asked quietly as the dwarf emerged into the low light that was being emitted from the flickering candles in their holders in the hall.

"Yeah!" Kili said.

"To be completely honest, we didn't believe that you could handle yourself like you claimed you could!" Fili further explained, her eyes drifting between the two of them. A slight frown marred her features and she carefully placed the small knife back into her boot. "By the way, that is a very lovely hiding place! Very original!" His tone was sarcastic as he nodded to her boot.

"We never would have thought to look there!" Kili teased as he leaned casually against the wall.

"It's only a temporary place until I can get my other weapons back..." Both brothers nodded in understanding, a slight smile pulling at both their lips. They were still unsure about how to approach this odd girl.

An awkward silence then filled the air and Ren scratched the back of her head. "I forgot something in the foyer..." She moved to turn around and leave when the same sword from before sunk into the wood just before her neck once again. Her hands instinctively pressed themselves against the flat side of the blade to keep herself from falling into it. Narrowing her eyes at Fili once more, she felt her patience beginning to wear thin.

"I don't understand..." She said quietly, her blue eyes darting back between the two brothers. They both had a dark smirk on their faces and they both took a couple steps closer to her.

She felt her breathing catch in her throat at the sudden feeling of being cornered and a few memories began to enter her mind. Most unpleasant memories. The ball of nerves in her stomach nearly doubled in size. She calmly swallowed before looking back at them, her hands balling into fists should she need to use them.

"You've got something we want..." Kili said as he came to stand just before her. Fili had stopped and kept his sword in place to keep her from leaving. Swallowing again, she began to panic internally as she already knew what was going to happen. And she most certainly wouldn't like it. Kili leaned up on his tiptoes until his mouth was just below her ear. "Where did you get that _lovely_ looking cinnamon pastry?"

Her heart stopped beating for a moment. Pulling back, she looked at Kili and then at Fili. The once dark and brooding look had left their faces and were replaced with cheery grins. The two brothers took one look at her pale cheeks before bursting out in laughter.

"Were we really that scary?" Fili asked between his laughter. Kili had continued to laugh heartily, his eyes slightly tearing at the wonderful joke that they had just played on their newest companion. It took a moment for the Lady Ren to compose herself, much to their amusement.

"I-I... I would never call a dwarf scary!" She growled, her cheeks going from pale to bright red in embarrassment. "Not even _menacing_!"

"You honestly looked frozen with fear when we had you cornered!" Kili continued to press and she couldn't help the smile that continued to tug at the corners of her mouth. She shook her head, her now slightly wave hair swinging around her.

Still smiling despite their meat-headedness, she gripped the Fili's sword which was sticking from the wall. Keeping her startling blue eyes locked on his, in one swift movement, she ripped the sword free from the wood. Leaving both dwarves stunned, she placed the sword back into the blonde dwarf's waiting palm.

Grasping a hold of the collar of his tunic, she pulled him closer. Fili felt his cheeks blaze red as her breath tickled his ear.

"They're underneath the sink in the kitchen..." She whispered right back, a smirk playing on her lips. Pulling back, she raised her eyebrows before patting the stout dwarf on the shoulder before walking passed him.

"What did she tell you?" Ren could hear Kili ask his brother as she turned the corner. A string of incoherent noises came from Fili's mouth causing the younger brother to laugh.

"She told me that they were under the sink..." He finally managed to say, his voice now strong with recognition.

They now knew the location of the delicious looking pastries. Hearing the sudden thumping of boots upon wood, she knew that the brothers were well on their way to the kitchen to find what was left of the pastries. One could only guess that Bombur had already sniffed them out.

Making her way back to the warm den, Ren ducked underneath the smaller doorway and once again she was blocked by another stout body. Looking up from her boots, she met the cold eyes of Thorin Oakenshield himself.

Taking a step back, she kept her distance from the dwarf, a small sense of uncertainty entering her mind at the sight of him.

"I need to speak with you." He murmured. She calmly met his gaze before slowly nodding her head. He stepped aside to make room for her and he held out his hand, motioning her forward. He followed her into the den and he quietly told her to take a seat in one of Bilbo's armchairs.

"You know that this journey is to be dangerous..." He told her in a matter of fact tone as he paced in front of her. She slowly nodded her head, wondering where he was going with this conversation. "The wizard told you so?"

"Yes, Gandalf told me that there was a chance I would not return from this adventure..." Ren explained and this caused the dwarf to halt in his pacing.

"Is that what he called it?" His deep voice rumbled as he gazed into the fire. "An adventure?" The dark haired dwarf smiled, satisfied when she did not answer and instead, her hand clenched together, causing the leather on her palm to squeak as it rubbed together. "You came on this quest because you thought you were just running off to see the world?"

"No, I came on this adventure because I knew that Gandalf would need me. That you and your company would need me..." She replied more quietly, at one point realizing how this journey would come to end. Thorin was silent for another moment, mulling over her words.

She was rather wise for such a young age.

"Very well. But before you agree to go on this journey, think about how _badly_ you wish to live out the rest of your short life. I will not be responsible for what would come to happen to you and I want you to reconsider coming with us..." Thorin fled from the room in one sweeping motion. Sighing to herself, Ren ran a hand over her face in frustration.

"You don't know just how long a life I have lived out already, Thorin Oakenshield..." She whispered sadly to herself as she made her way back down the original hall where she had been headed.

* * *

As she arrived in the kitchen, she caught sight of the two dwarven brothers. They were both crammed beneath the small kitchen sink, looking for the pastries that she had hidden there beforehand. She smiled slightly to herself as she moved passed them.

What they didn't know was that she hid them in a different place.

Moving to the pantry, she found the tankard of ale situated by the doorway. Grabbing an empty and clean mug off the dusty shelf beside the tankard, she filled it up with the foamy liquid, being more conservative when drinking this one.

She was trying to make an impression after all.

Also moving to the barrel of flour that was situated in the corner of the nearly empty pantry, she plucked the lid off before reaching inside and pulling out the basket of soft cinnamon pastries. Walking back into the kitchen, she popped one into her mouth before she set the basket on the kitchen counter before leaning against it and drinking form her mug.

After another few minutes of let the young dwarves search, she finally cleared her throat after eating three more of the mouth watering goodies.

Both dwarves turned simultaneously and looked up at her. Using her head, she directed their eyes to the basket sitting on the counter. Knowing what was to come next, she moved out of the way as the two males lept at the basket.

She carefully balanced the mug in her hand and took another sip as she watched the two younger dwarves devour the few pastries that were left.

Ren could only release a heavy sigh through her nose before smiling slightly as she shook her head. The bond the two brothers shared eminded her of someone and she wished not to think about them. Not at that moment, anyway.

Continuing down the hall, she found herself seated on a glory box beside the den, the fire in the fireplace casting eerie shadows across the room. All the dwarves seemed to congregate inside the cozy place and it wasn't long before Fili and Kili walked passed her, both of them wiping crumbs from their beards.

A low humming began to be sung, drawing her attention away from the smooth detailing etched into the side of her mug. It was rather intriguing to see how different the hobbits were from the rest of Middle Earth.

Closing her eyes, she let the low sound fill her and she drank it in. It was one of the sweetest sounds she had heard in a long time. Thorin stood at the head of the group near the fireplace.

It was after supper and the dwarves had only begun smoking to help them relax before heading off to bed and receiving what they believed to be the last good night's sleep they would have for a long while.

"_Far over, the Misty Mountains cold. To dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away ere break of day to find our long forgotten gold_..." Ren had shifted more so that she was facing the wonderful noise.

At one point after having the conversation with Thorin, she actually doubted herself when it came to participating in this quest. She knew how it was to end. Would she fit in with the Company? Would they accept her? What if they ever became suspicious of her?

But after hearing the deep sadness in the dwarves' voices, she knew what she must do. She must go on this journey.

"_The pines were roaring on the high. The winds were moaning in the night. The fire was red, it flame and spread. The trees like torches blazed with light_..." At some point during the bit about the fire, her eyes had lifted themselves from her pair of leather boots.

She felt everything around her grow silent as Thorin's icy gaze caught her in their clutches. His voice was the only one she heard and his gaze seemed to have had her hypnotized. Feeling an odd and unsettling feeling in her stomach, she looked away but continued to feel his menacing eyes upon her.

Taking another sip of ale, she rose from her place, some of the dwarves only then just realizing that she had listened to their mournful ballad. Not wanting to hear anymore of the woeful tale, she picked a room, a single random room and entered inside to escape the dwarves that lay just outside.

Finding it in her luck to be an empty bedroom, she took her bag off and placed it beside the bed. Pulling back the covers on the mattress, she unlaced her boots and kicked them off and onto the floor. She also loosened the jerkin before she pulled it over her head before tossing it to the side near her bag. Untucking her long tunic from her breeches, she ruffled out her hair.

Also skillfully removing the leather bracers from around her wrists, she pulled her fingers free of their leather gloves and curled them together before releasing the tension built up in the appendages.

Her fingers accidentally touched the cool metal on her wrist. The bronze, silver, and gold were chilled as always and she glanced at them momentarily, her past slipping into her mind for a moment. Her slim fingers traced over the symbols etched into the different metals. She could only translate two of them and the third was a problem in itself.

They were all a reminder of who she was. And she didn't like that.

Now, you may think that if the metal around her wrist was such a troublesome thing, she would have simply discarded it. But she could not. When she was young and just a babe, it had been placed upon her wrist and eventually she grew to the point that the metal could not be removed unless she wished to cut her own hand off.

She considered it on multiple occasions. And don't even start with trying to melt the metal off. That was just plain silly.

Shaking her head as if to rid her mind of those dark thoughts, she moved to the small bed.

Lying down, she rested her head against the unbelievably soft pillow. Curling up in the warmth the blankets offered to her, she closed her eyes, relishing in the fact that she actually had a roof to sleep under, let alone a cozy bed and a full stomach. It wasn't long before her mind began to grow fuzzy as she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

She woke with the sun as she always had. As its barely visible rays began to grace Middle Earth with warmth, something inside the woman stirred, causing her sapphire eyes to flutter open.

Slowly sitting up, she scratched her head and yawned before rising from the hobbit sized bed. The bed had been a bit short for her but she had curled herself up into a ball, as she had slept for her entire life.

Stretching out her limbs now, she craned her neck and peered out from the deep set window in her room. She could hear birds quietly beginning to sing their quiet song outside and she smiled. The day would be pleasantly warm and sunny.

Slipping on her boots, she tightened the leather around her ankles before standing up and moving to the bedside table. Slipping her leather gloves over her fingers and hands, she laced up her bracers as well, the metal on her wrist hidden away once more.

Adjusting her hair around her shoulders, she dared not look into the small mirror in the corner of the room.

Slowly turning the small knob on the door, she crept out into the hallway. She could hear the snoring of the dwarves down the way and in some of the rooms adjoining her's.

Her boots were silent on the wood floors of the hobbit-hole. Creeping to the kitchen, she began to rifle through the cabinets and drawers until she found a bit of bread in the small bread box on the counter. Also finding some butter deep in the pantry, she spread it across the bread before taking a bite of it.

Moving through the hobbit home, she found that multiple dwarves littered the floor of the den and she snickered at the sight. Dwarves were not pretty sleepers.

Deciding that she needed to get a move on to prepare her horse, she moved towards the door.

Throwing the dark green cloak around her shoulders, she fastened the metal clip around her throat before pulling her hair from underneath it. Just as she was about to reach for the brass knob of the front door, she paused. Something was missing. Feeling on her person, she realized that her bag was not slung across her shoulder as it always had been.

Grumbling to herself, she shoved the rest of the soft bread into her mouth before quietly jogging back to her rented room. Entering inside the small door, she was relieved to find the bag where she had left it on the bedside table. Grasping the fabric in her hands, she situated it about her person before nodding and making her way back to the front door.

Just as her finger tips touched the cool knob, she felt or rather heard the quiet breathing of someone behind her.

"Going somewhere?" She was not startled when she heard the distinct voice. Slowly turning back to the dwarf, she easily met his stony gaze, the smoke from his pipe drifting around his face as he sat upon the wooden stool. "Have you changed your mind?"

She was silent for a moment, her eyes assessing Thorin as he sat on the stool near the entrance of the den. How she had not seen him or heard him before was lost upon her mind.

"I have not changed my mind. I'm simply going to get my things." She explained to the dwarf as she turned the knob on the door. Pulling it open, she stepped out into the chilly morning air. The ground was damp from the rain last night yet it added a freshness to the natural smell of the earth. Nodding to Thorin once more, she shut the door behind her without another glance.

If she ever had a chance to choose to settle down, it would be in Hobbiton. Yet she had this sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't be allowed to move into the neighborhood for she was not under four feet tall and didn't have hair on her feet.

Making her way down the front path, she traveled along the same road she had arrived along the night before. Glancing around, she found the entire village to still be sleeping peacefully. Lazy smoke clouds floating up from chimneys that sprang from the ground. Cows swished their tails as they nibbled on the grass beneath their hooves. Pigs squealed as they fought over the scraps given to them by their owners.

She could only shake her head, a small smile on her lips._ Hobbits..._

* * *

When Bilbo awoke, the sun was streaming into his face and the birds were singing loudly right outside his tiny round window. The hobbit stretched his small limbs out on his bed, just content to wake up slowly as he always did in the morning.

But as his mind continued to awaken, he realized something was different. No, something was _wrong_. His home was absolutely silent.

Slipping from his bed, he tiptoed through the halls of his home, careful as to not wake any sleeping dwarves that still may be lying about. Bilbo had a sneaking suspicion that there would be no dwarves however, since his home was lacking in its previous roar of noise.

"Hello?!" He called into the kitchen, almost hoping that no one would answer. And to his utmost delight, no one answered.

His dinning room had been righted and it appeared that no one had even been inside the home, save the hobbit himself. Bilbo even took it upon himself to check up the chimney for a stout little visitor and he found none.

He let out a quiet noise of joy but then sobered slightly when he realized that Lady Ren and Gandalf would have also left. It almost felt like a dream, seeing how wonderfully spotless his house was once more. There was no evidence of the dwarves ever visiting the hobbit-hole.

Except for the fact that a thick piece of parchment lay on the coffee table in the den. Looking down at the long contract, he saw that both Thorin and Balin had sighed it, agreeing to let the hobbit join their group.

It was in that moment that Bilbo decided what he must do. He would go.

With his arms flailing crazily about him, the hobbit sprinted from his home, his large feet carrying him down the stone lane that lay before his underground home. The contract waved in the breeze as the hobbit leapt over fences, dodged neighbors, and ran through the tall grass, nearly tripping on more than one occasion.

In record time, the hobbit had been prepared to leave. He had thrown his traveling pack over his head, along with his waistcoat and a variety of other various things he believed he would need on this quest.

"Mr. Bilbo? Where are you going?" Someone called as he passed. He had little time to actually see who asked and he only replied with, "Can't stop! I'm already late!"

"Late? Late for what?"

"I'm going on an adventure!" The hobbit cried as he continued his journey onward into the shady forest. He had been running for a good few minutes when he finally heard voices and the clomping of hooves echoing off the tall trees.

"Wait! Wait!" He called to the Company of dwarves. Surprised at hearing the hobbit approach, they all halted their ponies and turned to look at the rapidly approaching halfling.

"I signed it!" Bilbo proclaimed proudly before handing the contract to Balin. Pulling out a magnifier, the white haired dwarf verified the signature of the hobbit.

"Everything appears to be in order! Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield!" The older dwarf sent the young hobbit a happy wink. The other dwarves laughed merrily and the hobbit heard an absence in the laughter. He could not hear the higher pitched laugh of the lone woman who had shown up upon his doorstep in the heavy rain.

Looking at all the horses, he could not see her golden head among them and paused momentarily when he saw Fili's long hair.

The wizard frowned upon seeing the hobbit look over the group for the single female member of the company. Gandalf had also wondered where she had gone off to. It must have been very early in the morning when she had left for he had not even heard her wake.

Loud hooves could be heard pounding against the solid earth below her. Cursing herself, she knew that she would never hear the end of it seeing how late she already was. "I'll never hear the end of it!"

It seemed as though the rest of the company heard it before they could see the beast as well.

There was a sudden increase in the volume of the hooves before the animal causing the noise burst through the surrounding trees and came into view. Bilbo stood frozen in fear as the blackest horse he had ever seen came thundering towards him. For a moment, the halfling believed that he would surely be crushed beneath the creatures hooves but at the last moment, the stallion drew back.

Rearing up on its hind legs, its fuzzy hooves pawed the air as it struggled not to fall on the small mortal. The black horse neighed loudly as it pawed the air. Pulling his reins to the side, the rider successfully maneuvered the horse away and the beast began to prance about now that he was back on all fours.

All the dwarves stared in awe at probably the largest and blackest horse they had ever seen. Almost none of them noticed the small figure cloaked in green upon its back. The deep set hood slid off her head as the horse continued to jostle around and rear slightly.

"Confoudite, Ren! You are late... again! It is very unlike you to be late two instances in a row!" Gandalf yelled but his tone was teasing. Finally getting her horse under control, the beast settled and she patted his thick neck.

"It is not my fault that I am late, Gandalf! Just this morning I had to travel almost halfway to Bree and back for two full quivers of arrows!" The horse beneath her snorted wildly. Patting his neck, she still continued to soothe the seemingly untamed horse.

"Arrows?! You did not think to bring them with you?!" Gandalf continued to scold her, much to Thorin's amusement.

"Very rarely do I pass through a market with quality arrows so forgive me for being picky..." She grumbled right back to the wizard. The old man simply huffed and for the first time, the troop of dwarves had noticed the bow slung across her back, along with a leather quiver full of arrows. Two daggers were strapped to the quiver, both about two feet long with polished ivory handles.

"It is nice for you to finally join us. For a moment there, I believed that you weren't coming..." Thorin rumbled in her direction. She merely shifted her weight in the saddle, her fingerless gloved hands gripping the leather of the dark gray reins of her fancy bridle.

"Why would I leave and miss out on such an _adventure_?" She smiled at the dwarf lord and the rest of the company could feel the tension of the air between the two. Thorin merely narrowed his eyes at the girl before his blue eyes shifted back to his Company.

"Very well." Thorin growled dryly, her sarcasm not amusing him one bit. He turned to look back at the hobbit. "Get him a pony!" He ordered and Bilbo panicked for a moment.

"No, no, no! That won't be necessary, thank you! I'm sure I could keep up on foot! I've done my fair share of walking holidays... Even as far as Frogmorten once-" He yelled in surprise as he was lifted from the ground by Kili and Fili and placed unceremoniously on the smallest pony of the group.

With a bemused expression on her face, Ren shared a look with the two brothers before she slapped the ends of her long reigns against the black horse's neck, causing him to prance a little before trotting to the head of the group beside Gandalf.

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review! **

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**I got eleven reviews for the last chapter! Holy crap! That is AMAZING! You guys are seriously the best! I never knew my hobbit story would be so popular! **

**Keep reading and reviewing! I. Love. You. Guys.**

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**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. Ren is still butting heads with Thorin. Get used to it. It will happen a lot. **

**P.S.S. Fili and Kili are adorable!**


	4. Chapter 4

The large beast fell into step beside Gandalf's horse with Thorin just behind them.

"You had me worried for a moment... I thought you had gotten caught up in other affairs or instead of affairs, in your case, just plain trouble!" The wizard mused. He watched as the girl's normally smiling face was blank at the moment. She was thinking. And once she realized his words were directed towards her, the corners of her mouth twitched up ever so slightly.

"I am simply a woman traveling on my own to see the world... How much trouble could I possibly get into?" Her blue eyes glistened with mirth. The wizard and girl only shared an all knowing look which eventually caused the girl's smile to widden. "Nevermind... Do not answer that..." Gandalf merely chuckled and patted his chocolate mare on the neck.

"So, this horse? May I ask what happened to the last creature I saw you riding?"

"She just got too old and started giving me fits. A very stubborn horse that one was..." Smiling down at the midnight black horse, she stroked his wavy mane before ruffling it slightly.

"And you believed that this one would give you fewer fits?" The horse shook out his man and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, he has proved to be a handful but that is because he is simply young and remarkably fast! He did carry me basically half way across Middle Earth..."

"Then I wish you all the luck with him! He seems to be a most fiery thing!" Gandalf smiled at her once more, his gray eyes kind and warm. She simply bobbed her head and was a bit confused when the older man dropped back in the group, leaving her ahead of Thorin. "Carry on! You know this road well enough!" He called to her.

Unfurrowing her brow, she nodded slowly once again. Glancing over at Thorin for a moment, she swallowed her nerves and urged her horse forward back to the head of the Company. She was confident in herself and she didn't want _him_ to know that she was uncertain as to if she should be leading the group of dwarves.

But it wasn't long before Thorin's short legged pony caught up with her midnight black stallion. His eyes were dark and brooding as he came to walk alongside her. She only glanced over at him before facing forwards once again. The two of them walked in silence for a long while, his pony snorting in annoyance as it tried to keep up with the long legged horse beside him.

"Wait!" Ren's eyes picked up the quiet voice of the hobbit. "STOP! STOP!" It came again. Her horse nickered in confusion and he reared slightly once more. He was impatient and liked to keep the earth moving beneath his feet. Pawing at the ground, he threw his head about in frustration. "We have to turn around!"

"What on Earth is the matter?" Came Gandalf's voice.

"I forgot my handkerchief!" Bilbo cried. Ren only glowered slightly. That was the bad thing about halflings. Hobbits always had been very needy creatures. That was also a reason as to why she couldn't live among them. They were just too needy!

"Here!" Bofur said as he ripped part of his worn tunic off. "Use this!" He tossed it back and the hobbit caught it with a noise of disgust. A slight smirk now twitched at her lips. The simplicity of the dwarves balanced out the neediness of the hobbit. All the other dwarves chuckled at Bofur's actions.

"Move on!" Thorin ordered from beside her. She managed to have her horse rooted in the same spot for a moment before she turned and let him catch up with the brooding dwarf lord.

The same thing had happened to Ren when she had been younger. When she first set out from her home, she had forgotten the simple idea of a water skin. She had left her's back home and nothing could have forced her to go back. So she had to make do. She could almost hear Gandalf's words as clearly in her head as she was now as he gave the same speech to Bilbo.

"You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchief and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach your journey's end! You were born to the rolling hills and little river of the Shire! But home is now behind you, the world is ahead..." She smiled warmly at the thought.

That was her first time meeting the wizard.

Going nearly a week without stumbling across any water, she had nearly fainted from dehydration when a man with a pointed hat appeared before her, offering her water. Of course she had accepted without another thought and drank the entire thing. She had just been a young thing back then, her legs were shaky and new like that of a new born fawn. Now, she had developed into a elegant and graceful doe with her starling blue eyes and graceful movements.

She had so much more knowledge of the world and her naivety was gone.

Walking silently beside Thorin, the tension was still thick between the two of them. Ever since the little fight argument at the dinning room table, she had the subtle feeling that he didn't like her. At all.

But that didn't stop him from scrutinizing her the entire time. Whenever the dark haired dwarf would steal a glance at her, he would always find her staring straight ahead, her eyes locked intently on the road before them. And she never looked at him and that made his blood boil. She was ignoring him.

* * *

Hours later, the group stopped for the night. The first night. They had already logged many miles on their ponies but the beasts were not weary in the slightest.

Kili and Fili had been assigned the job of taking care of all fourteen ponies. However, when the two horses became the center of the conversation, the two brothers shifted uneasily. Neither wanted to have to handle the large horses.

Sighing deeply, Ren stepped forward and volunteered to tend to the two horses of the group. Both brothers sent her a look of gratitude, knowing that they would properly thank her later.

All the dwarves groaned and protested as they slid from the saddles. Ren and Gandalf simply shared an amused look before she took the reins from the wizard and towed the horses away into the trees. A few of the dwarves also handed her the reins to their ponies and promising them they would be well taken care of, she led them away.

Finding a suitable clearing filled with lush grass, she pulled a long length of rope from one of her saddlebag. Wrapping it around the base of an oak tree, she tied it to the bottom her horse's bridle, knowing that he would wander off if not tied down.

Setting to work unbuckling the two saddles and placing them on the ground, she gently slapped the black horse's rump. He was used to the gesture and simply lowered his head to the ground and began nibbling on the grass and a few flowers that dotted the landscape around his hooves.

Seeing that the dwarven brothers only had finished with five of the fourteen ponies, she wandered to the nearest one and quietly began to help. As she tugged the smaller saddle off the small horse before her, she placed it on the ground beside the steed. Running her hands through his thick mane, she now realized that this was Thorin's pony.

Also rubbing his long face, the pony bobbed his head in her direction, wanting more pets from the taller being. She merely smiled before scratching his forehead and rubbing under his chin. He extended his neck out as he begged for more attention. Ren only smiled before moving onto another stocky pony just beside him.

As she began to take care of this one, she felt a warm body brush up against her. Glancing over her shoulder, she only thought it was another pony but she was surprised to find both Kili and Fili were finishing the last few steeds together and the younger of the two had accidentally bumped into her.

Sighing through her nose, she swept the last saddle off and placed it on the ground beside the others.

"We never really got to thank you before!" She heard one of the brothers say as she slipped the bridle off of a quiet little white mare. It had been Fili. When she turned to look up at him, he plopped another saddle down right beside the one she had just finished with and he beamed at her.

"Horses just make us nervous... You know, them being so large and us being so... _small_." Kili added as he smiled sheepishly. This caused her to laugh quietly and both brothers smiled at one another.

"I completely understand. When I was younger, I used to be terrified of horses..." She said quietly as she returned to her saddle and untied a bag. The two dwarves watched with interest as she sat down on a fallen log and opened up the sack.

She had been silent for most of the day and now the dwarves were trying to get her to actually speak to them.

"And how did you come to not fear them any longer?" Kili continued to pry whilst his brother simply stood beside him in content silence. She only looked up at the two of them, a smile twitching at her lips.

"I got taller." This caused the boys to chuckle before Fili stopped and thought about her words again.

"You said that you were afraid when you were younger... Aren't you still _young_?" The blonde brother asked, curiousity beginning to pry at him. She was a rather odd creature. He wasn't exactly sure what or who she was.

She paused for a moment as if she had been caught but no panic crossed into her irises. She always seemed to keep herself level minded and she only blinked as she looked at Fili. It always seemed that she made sure her emotions were in check.

"When I was_ little_..." She clarified and righted herself immediately. Fili only narrowed his eyes slightly, his braided mustache twitching in thought. Kili didn't really seem to understand the difference so he simply shot his brother a questioning look. "But yes, I suppose I am... _young_." The words sounded foreign on her tongue and she didn't like the taste of them.

Groping around in the bag, she pulled her hand out to reveal a slightly aged apple. The dwarves just looked at her with curiosity as she turned it over in her hands before holding it out to the dwarves. They only gave her a questionable look.

"It's for the ponies?" She stated and both brothers smiled in revelation. Tossing the first to Fili, she reached back inside the burlap sack and retrieved a few more apples. "You two can begin halving them if you like..." Fishing out another couple of the shiny fruit, Fili drew out his sword and began to expertly cut them in half.

After offering the apple pieces to all the ponies and horses, the three of them counted and checked to see that they each got a piece. Now that the ponies were all content with the little treat they got, they all quieted down and went back to nibbling on the grass provided.

Behind them, the other dwarves had gotten a fire roaring and it was the only thing lighting up the night.

The smell of food reached their nostrils immediately and the two dwarves began to make their way back through the dark and towards the fire, moaning the entire way. Bombur was cooking. And he was a brilliant cook.

Hearing nothing but silence behind them, Kili turned around and saw that Ren had not followed them and was simply shuffling her things around to appear like she was busy.

"Aren't you coming, my lady?" She looked up hearing his voice but shook her head slightly. In her hands she held a bristled brush to use on the ponies.

"I think it would be best if I stayed over here for a bit. I have this sneaking suspicion that Master Oakenshield does not like me being here..." Kili glanced at Fili, silently asking his brother to help him. The blonde dwarf had also stopped and was now looking back at her.

"Don't be silly!" He added, waving his hand slightly in her direction, wanting her to dismiss her thoughts. "Now come along!"

"I don't think so..." She said as she sat down on the ground beside her things, the brush still in her palms.

"Well... What are you going to do about food?" The younger of the two asked. Ren simply sighed deeply through her nose and looking back at her supplies.

"I'll be fine, Kili." She insisted as she stood up and approached one of the ponies after sliding her fingers beneath the strap on the brush. Both dwarves felt a bit guilty for leaving her out by herself but their stomachs were rumbling with hunger. Sharing a look, they let their starving stomachs get the best of them and they simply left to find food.

* * *

Later, after the fire had begun to grow dimmer and the dwarves were settling down for sleep, did Ren finally emerge from her hiding place near the ponies. Gandalf simply regarded her with kind eyes as she silently moved between the dozing dwarves.

Thorin watched her move across the clearing, bow in hand.

"Who is to take watch?" She asked, causing most of the dozing dwarves to startle awake. Bombur was the only unresponsive dwarf and he had already fallen into a deep sleep beside his cousin. Thorin pulled his pipe away from his mouth, the smoke floating around him before it floated off into the sky. When he said nothing, she only grumbled before rolling her eyes.

She expected as such.

"I will take the first watch if none other shall take it." She finally said after another moment of silence between her and the dwarf lord. Most of the dwarves only looked to one another with uncertainty in their eyes. Upon seeing the looks passed between them, she sighed once more. "If anything were to happen, I would wake you immediately..." She reassured the brooding dwarf. He seemed to mull this thought over.

She was offering to keep watch and as he looked between his bleary eyed companions and the seemingly wide awake woman. Maybe she could prove herself useful after all. Even if she only offered them extra time to sleep.

"Very well." He grumbled. She nodded to him before placing the bow back across her shoulders. He watched with fascination as she turned and climbed up the nearest oak tree with relative ease. It was not long before she had taken up residence upon one of the thick branches. Kicking her feet out on either side of the branch, she settled in and drew her bow from her back, along with an arrow which was only a precaution. Though she highly doubted that this close to the Shire, hardly any trouble would find them.

The dwarf lord simply rolled his eyes before situating himself against the soft foliage on the ground. Pulling his cloak around him, he stared up at the feet hanging over the edge, wondering if she would most certainly be able to remain awake all night.

* * *

Landing with _thud_, her boots met the ground and she straightened up, her eyes surveying the sleeping Company. Deciding that it would be best if she now found something to eat, she quietly approached the pot of stew that still simmered beside the fire. Looking down into it, she found only a small amount left but it was food nonetheless.

Picking up a clean bowl that she had found alongside the others, she dipped it into the pot.

Hissing in pain when some stew got on her skin, she quickly placed it into her mouth and licked it clean. Inspecting her finger, she found that a burn would not occur and she reached into her bag and fished out a spoon out. Carefully stepping around the sleeping bodies, she quietly took a spot up near the edge of the camp where she could dine in silence.

The dwarves around her snored loudly and yet she was still able to enjoy her small meal in peace. Where ever she could dine alone was a perfectly acceptable place to eat. Letting her ears tune into the other sounds of the forest, she made sure to listen for anything unnatural that would cause harm to their group.

A lone wolf howled in the far off distance but it was still loud enough to wake the hobbit. Smiling slightly to herself, she took another spoonful of soup and sat quietly, wondering if he would notice her now gone from the tree and just beside him.

He looked around, eyes wide and hair crazy. She suddenly had the sneaking suspicion that he had not even been asleep before.

She could remember the first night she slept in the darkness herself. She hadn't slept a wink but with her sharp ears, she had eventually learned the natural sounds of the forest and they would eventually come to lull her into a deep sleep whenever the chance to sleep came to her.

"What was that?" He asked her after he noticed her presence, his eyes still extremely wide. One would think that you could feel utterly protected in a Company of dwarves, a wizard, and a woman of the Wild but apparently that was not the case with little Bilbo. He had trust issues.

"Twas simply a lone wolf singing his sad lament to the moon. There is nothing to fear, Master Baggins. Go back to sleep." She reassured him. The hobbit's fingers twitched as he wondered whether or not he should trust her. He saw the slight glimmer of amusement in her eyes before he sighed and lay back down on his bedroll.

Falling once more back into silence, she quietly finished her meal. Placing the bowl among the others, she quietly scurried back up the tree, unbeknownst to the eyes that had watched her ascent as he had before.

Leaning back against the tree trunk, she sighed through her nose before she focused her sharp eyes on the surroundings and waited for morning to come.

Ren would only come down from the tree once more when dawn had begun to break over the horizon. She watched the Company begin to awaken one by one, Gandalf first. He simply looked up to the tree and saw her looking back down at him. The wizard smiled up at her.

Thorin would awaken after the wizard, his blue eyes immediately going up to the tree to find the boots hanging down and still swaying in the breeze. Now, he could only wonder if she was still awake.

He rose and stretched before approaching his nephews who were cuddled together and snoring loudly in each other's ear. Placing his boot into their sides, they both were startled awake. They also helped their uncle wake the rest of the Company.

Bilbo was the last to be woken and he sleepily sat up, not used to being awoken at such an early hour.

He was nearly startled out of his skin when a body dropped down from the tree beside him. Now fully awake, he watched as the blonde woman smiled down at him. Grabbing onto his waist coat, she hauled him from the ground.

"You must learn to awaken early, Master Baggins. There is no time to sleep when taking part in an adventure!" She patted his shoulder before moving on.

She nodded 'good morning' to both Kili and Fili as they had moved to begin preparing the ponies. They both seemed partially asleep but smiled back at her nonetheless. They were at least happy to get some sort of acknowledgment out of her.

It was not an hour later when the company was completely packed and ready to venture on once more.

Opting to ride back in the Company of the dwarves instead of at the head of it, her large horse snorted in annoyance. He liked to be at the head of the group without another horse before him. He was, what he considered himself, the leader of the group. And he wasn't happy.

After they had come across a small stream a couple hours later, Bombur had insisted that they stop so he could clean the dishes. Thorin had only agreed to let them stop and give the ponies a good drink before they moved on and water would become scarcer. Sliding from the back of her horse, she took the reins and led him over to the babbling waters.

Bombur had recruited the help of his brother and cousin to help him clear the bowls and spoons. As they dipped them into the water, Bofur stopped after he had washed out the fifteenth bowl. He was sure that their was, technically, only fifteen of them in the company. He was sure that the Lady Ren had had nothing to eat at supper last night.

But now as the dwarf sat and mulled things over a bit, he smiled to himself. She must have eaten sometime in the night. He laughed out loud. She was a sneaky one, that Lady Ren!

Simply putting the sixteenth bowl with the others, he placed them into his brother's bag and told him they were all accounted for and were ready for their next meal.

Looking out across the lands, she let the stallion drink before she dipped her own hand into the running water. Bringing it to her lips, she kept her eyes trained on the opposing river bank, daring not to glance down into the water.

Once Bombur had finished with the dishes, the group set out once more.

During the day, she pulled the reins on her horse back and forced him to ride at the very end of the group as she had that very morning. Of course, this left the large horse extremely cranky and moody, yet he complied and quietly rode behind the troop of ponies. He was not one to question his rider. She was rather mean at times.

They stopped for a very short lunch at midday.

Bilbo voiced his complaints upon slipping from the saddle once more. Actually, none of the dwarves seemed to happy with their sore bottoms yet none of them, save the hobbit, decided to say something about it. They were to manly for that.

The woman only snickered at their pain as she ate an one of many apples she had found growing on a tree alongside the road. She had stopped for a few minutes and had parked her horse beneath a tree. Standing up in the stirrups, she had plucked a number of the shinning fruits and put them into the same bag as before. She would save most of them for the ponies when night fell upon the land.

After all, they were doing all the walking while their riders simply enjoyed the view. The dwarves had it easily.

And as night fell, she once again feed the steeds their share of ripe apples. They happily accepted them and she laughed as they searched her hands for more. She was swarmed by the excitable ponies, all of them wishing for another few slices of the savory fruit.

Fili and Kili simply watched with content smiles as the ponies swarmed her for their apple half. This caused her to laugh and her face to light up, the first real sign of her actual personality shining through the wall. Joy shown in her eyes as she patted all the steeds on the nose, for the love of an animal was one of the greatest love one could recieve.

They watched as the ponies continued to nuzzle her clothes in hopes of finding another treat when Kili suddenly had a thought.

"Should we name them?" Both his brother and the Lady looked at him as if they questioned his sanity. "Cause I mean it does get a bit annoying when we say, 'Oi, Fili! Can you hand me that brown one's saddle!' and as you can see, we have three brown ponies..." Kili continued.

His brother titled his head to the side as he thought about his younger brother's words. "I suppose it makes sense..."

"What do you suggest for names?" Both looked at the woman as she continued to get swarmed by the ponies. She rubbed a few of them underneath their chins and they let out high pitched whinnies of contentment.

"Well..." Kili rubbed his chin in thought. "Thorin's little stallion should have a rather manly name like..."

"Bungo?" Fili suggested, looking for his little brother's approval. The dark haired dwarf mulled this over for a moment, tapping his chin once again. "I like it!" He said suddenly. Ren rubbed said chocolate pony's thick hair through her fingers, testing out his name on her tongue. It sounded right.

"Bilbo's little pony needs a simple name like..." Kili watched as the tiniest of the group simply stood off to the side, looking a bit sad and innocent. "_Myrtle_!" Both dwarves laughed out loud, the older shoving his brother in the shoulder at his ridiculous suggestion.

"I actually find it quite endearing..." Came Ren's quiet voice. Both of them stopped laughing immediately and looked over to the blonde woman. Kili looked at her incredulously for a moment before seeing the serious look on her face.

"A-Alright..." He swallowed while his eyes gazed over the other horses. "Dwalin's little mare?"

"Daisy." Came her simple reply. Both brothers shared another look before smiling slightly and agreeing to give the certainly sweetest pony of the group with the sweetest name. That pony would certainly have to be gentle if Dwalin was her rider.

And so on and so forth, the ponies came to be known as: Whiskey, Levi, Minty, Lady, Willow, Prince, Bungo, Myrtle, Daisy, Jack, Patch, Joey, Pepper, and Stormy. Gandalf's horse was now known as Blaze. And the only question left was what to call Ren's horse.

"He is a bit of an ass... Are you sure he is not a donkey?" Kili asked as all three of them stood beside one another in the darkness, watching as the large black horse lowered his ears and snorted dangerously at Willow and Jack when they were eating a patch of clover that he laid claim to.

"Kili, does he honestly look like a donkey?" Fili held his hands out in motioning to the horse. "Though, he is a bit of a bully..." The blonde dwarf scratched his chin in thought. "He goes about bossing the others around like he's the leader of the group. Kind of like..."

"Thorin?" Kili voiced his thought but received a strong smack on the back of his head. The dark haired dwarf simply snickered at the small joke he made and when he looked at his brother, also saw the amusement in his eyes. Also looking to Ren, her lips were also turned up slightly.

"I was going to say he acts like the _chief_ but..."

"And what's wrong with Chief?" Asked Fili, finding the name to rather suiting for the ass of a horse. Looking to Ren, he could almost see her thoughts behind her blue eyes which were illuminated by the fire through the trees. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her lips were pursed.

"It's suitable enough..." She finally said after a long few minutes.

"Then Chief it is!" Kili smiled at her, though he received none in return. His spirits fell a little at that, seeing as how she didn't ever really show much emotion. The only creatures she ever smiled around were the ponies.

As they had the night before, Kili and Fili's stomachs both growled from hunger. Sharing a look, the made to move off to the fire. Yet they were forgetting one thing. The older stopping in his tracks this time, he placed a hand on Kili's shoulder.

"Lady Ren, why don't you come to eat supper with us?" She only shook her head before stroking Bungo's nose.

"I am not welcome in your company, Master dwarf..." She replied solemnly. Knowing that her habit bothered Kili as much as it did himself, the older brother could only nod his head in sadness before trudging towards the fire.

After the fire had begun to grow smaller and it began to flicker closer to the logs, Ren emerged from the darkness as she had the night before. Slowly approaching the kingly dwarf, she bowed her head in respect.

"I will take up watch again tonight..." She replied, her face impassive. Thorin simply looked up at her, taking in her facial features. Once again, she did not appear tired in the slightest and the rest of his troop was already asleep. Only nodding his head, the dark haired dwarf watched as she found a tree directly across the way from him.

Watching her ascend towards the heavens once more, she was perched upon wide branch with her boots hanging from both sides as she had the night before. Sighing through his nose, Thorin lay back against the tree behind him and closed his eyes, rather grateful for another full night's sleep.

He was not aware of how much time had passed when he heard her boots quietly coming back down the tree. Normally, he would have fallen asleep by then but it seemed as though his mind was waiting for the woman to slip up. Barely cracking open his eye, he watched as she approached the pile of bowls once more, finding the lone clean one before dipping it into the pot as she had the night before. His lip twitched slightly as she sat down and contently dined on the small bit of stew that had been left.

And just as before, she placed her empty bowl back with the others and scrambled easily up the tree, leaving not a trace of herself behind.

* * *

Hauling the hobbit to his feet once more, Ren pulled some leaves from his hair before patting him harshly on the back and proceeding to make her way to the horses. He blinked awake and his brain took a few moments to realize that he was standing upright once again.

Once again nodding her head in 'good morning' to the dwarven brothers, they yawned and sleepily replied with the same.

Thorin watched her as she quickly saddled both horses and four other ponies, his nephews lagging behind as they struggled to actually wake up. It still astounded him as to how she remained awake all night. Her eyes were open and aware as if she had slept wonderfully. Shaking his head, he righted himself and stretched out his back before heading towards Bombur for a small breakfast.

Giving the dwarves their already chosen ponies, Kili, Fili, and Ren all three had a handful of reins as they passed out the steeds to their masters.

Standing beside one another, Daisy, Bungo, and Willow only lazily nibbled on the grass below their feet, waiting patiently for their masters to emerge from the camp. As the dwarves came through the trees, Ren watched as the dwarves approached her for their ponies.

"Daisy." She told Dwalin as she handed him the reins to his gentle mare. He could only scowl at the name but otherwise said nothing else. Balin also approached her, coming for his little white mare. "Willow..." She told him as he raised his leg up into the stirrup. She held the pony steady for him and once he was situated in the saddle, she handed the reins to him.

"Thank you, lassie!" The short dwarf told her, earning a respectable head bob from the woman. Seeing the exchange between the two, Thorin had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes dark and brooding. Noticing the dark haired dwarf who was standing off to the side, Ren sighed and held the lead out to him.

"His name is Bungo..." She said quietly as her hand was held extended out to him. Thorin's eyes flicked between the leather reins and her face, figuring that she had helped to name all their ponies along with his nephews.

"Thank you." He replied quietly, taking the reins from her. His fingers briefly brushed against hers, the warmth radiating up her hand. However, they were gone as soon as they touched and the dwarf was soon up in the saddle upon his pony's back. She stroked the chocolate pony on the nose before brushing the dark hair from his eyes.

"You're welcome, Master Oakenshield..." She bowed her head respectfully before stepping away from Bungo and was moving to her own prancy horse.

Thorin and Company was on the road in the next hour or so, most of the dwarves still yawning. The second day of the journey was always the hardest. Actually, no. The third day would be the hardest for the troop of dwarves, though none of them knew it.

Riding towards the back of the group once more, she listened intently for any noises of danger around. It wasn't until later that night that they would even get close to encountering danger.

"Uncle Thorin?" Turning his head towards his nephew, he gazed intently at the dark haired dwarf.

"What is it, Kili?"

"It is about the Lady Ren..." Fili was also by the young dwarf's side, silently agreeing with his brother. He wanted to make sure that Kili didn't mess this up.

"What of her?"

"S-She doesn't feel as though she is wanted on this quest..." Thorin was not surprised in the slightest when his nephew brought up the issue of the lone female of their group. He only sighed through his nose.

"She is _not_ wanted on this quest and she will _not_ be wanted until she proves herself useful enough to continue with us on our journey..." The kingly dwarf replied coldly, hardly skipping a beat.

Both brothers exchanged a look. No matter how much they didn't want to admit it, they liked her. Seeing the inkling of good naturedness and humor that she held behind her blue irises, they wished to discover just what exactly she was. She was something different to them. Something unknown. And the brothers wished to know her.

Risking a look back at the lone female, Thorin could easily see her blonde hair contrasting against the dark coat of her horse as it shined in the sunlight. Her face was rather impassive, blue eyes trained on the surroundings around them. Always aware of any danger afoot. Always waiting.

As if feeling his eyes on her, she locked eyes with him momentarily before diverting her gaze back to the tree line, a slightly sad look upon her face.

* * *

**You know what to do, read and review!**

**Chapter 4 is out everybody! I hope this adds to the awesome that is my hobbit tale! Stay tuned for more Ren goodness! **

**By the way, I got nine reviews for the last chapter! You guys are great!**

**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. Do you like Chief's name? **

**Kili: Are you sure he isn't a donkey? He sure is an ass... Lol. One of my favorite lines I've ever written. **


	5. Chapter 5

Settling in once again for the night, the group of dwarves grumbled and mumbled about their sore bottoms once more. Ren couldn't help but snicker slightly as she slid from her own saddle. Patting the thick neck of her black steed, she cooed to him as she ran her hand through his thick mane.

Setting to work on her job of taking care of the horses, she began to move down the line, taking horses as she went. Leading about four other ponies over to where she left her own large horse, she pulled the saddles from her back before running a brush over their coats.

After unsaddling all the ponies, Kili and Fili were about to walk once more walked back to the fire, not even trying to convince Ren to join them. She would join the group when she got hungry enough.

After brushing out all the ponies, she simply sat by her things, wondering when they would all fall asleep. She was hoping it would be soon. Her stomach was grumbling exceptionally loud tonight and if she would wait much longer, it would begin cramping.

Ren listened intently as the dwarves laughed merrily at a story Bofur told about how he had once fallen in an icy river during the winter when Bombur pushed him in. From where she was seated, she could see Gandalf happily smoking his pipe on the very edge of the light emitted by the fire. Happening to catch his eye at one point, he smiled at her and sent her a courteous nod which she returned.

As the fire had begun to die down as it had any other time, she sighed before rising from her place, bow in hand with an arrow notched. Sooner or later, the dwarves would catch onto her little trick. She prayed that it wouldn't be this night. She was too hungry for that.

Upon entering the light, she immediately felt eyes upon her and found Thorin seated with his back against the trunk of a tree. Making her way over to him, she was about to say that she would take the first watch but was surprised when he spoke first.

"I will take the first watch tonight." Ren merely looked at him, surprised that he had actually spoken to her. Both her eyebrows rose as she gazed down calmly at the dwarf. She was about to protest when he spoke again, "You have kept watch the last two night. Surely you must be tired?" Wondering if he was suspecting something, she only could comply and nod her head before she forced herself to yawn to prove her point.

She only locked eyes with the dwarf again before grumbling internally to herself before moving back into the darkness.

Returning to her things, she inwardly cursed herself. She could have not had one more night? She was so hungry and of course it had to have been on that day that she decided to skip lunch. Walking back into the circle of light, she found an empty space beside the lone blonde dwarf in the group.

Fili had been dozing but when someone had placed their bedroll beside him, his blue eyes had fluttered back open in surprise. He said nothing as she settled down on the cot, the first time that she had used it since their journey had begun. Unbuckling the quiver and bow from her back, she laid back against the trunk of a tree with her bag as a pillow beneath her head.

Simply staring into the fire flickering before her, the girl knew that she was being watched. She could feel eyes upon her. She did not know how much time had passed before she happened to look over and Fili had nodded off once again. But that was not the pair of eyes that were watching her.

However much she tried to find sleep, she simply could not. Her stomach was rumbling loudly and all she could do was frown slightly as she let her eyes sit half idled. No, she was not sleep at all that night.

The air was silent around them but Ren's ears pricked when she heard Thorin move. Her eyes opened fully and watched intently as he approached the fire, she noted the bowl in his hands. Dipping it into the pot over the fire, he wiped away any spilled soup from the sides.

Sighing, the dwarf looked up and approached her. As he came to stand before her, she raised her eyes in surprise, looking up into his stony blue eyes.

"I know that you have been taking some of the stew when you are the last awake..." The dwarf lord rumbled, his baritone voice low in the night. Swallowing nervously, she lowered her head in shame, knowing that she had been caught. She was not sorry that she was caught. She was just bitter. She wasn't guilty for stealing food from a troop of dwarves.

"I am sorry..." She said quietly, her blue eyes closing in apparent frustration. The words tasted bitter on her tongue. She was supposed to be earning the dwarves trust, not losing it. And all she did was because she ate some of their food.

"Don't apologize for simply being hungry. It takes a lot of guts to take food from a Company of ever hungry dwarves..." Lowering the bowl towards her, her brow furrowed as she raised her hands and placed the bowl in her open palms. He also handed her a wooden spoon, their fingers brushing for a moment.

"Thank you." She replied quietly, bowing her head in his direction. The dwarf only gazed at her for a moment before he nodded and retreated back to his own place around the fire. Quietly, she began to eat the deliciously warm and cheesy soup.

She would have to compliment Bombur on it in the morning. After she had finished her meal, she quietly rose and placed it with the other dirty dishes.

Settling into her place, she wrapped her gray cloak around her. She always carried two in case one got dirty or wet. Another few minutes passed before her ears tuned into the crackling of the fire and the distant chirping of the crickets in the distance. A small pond lay a short distance through the trees, a small pond dumping into it before it flowed back down into the lazy creek below. And with the water brought the loud croaking of frogs.

As she felt her eyes begin to grow heavy, the crickets and frogs were suddenly silenced and all became quiet in the night. She didn't open her eyes and only kept her ears open. Something wasn't right. Crickets didn't stop for no reason. Frogs hardly ever stopped singing. Maybe it was only another traveler or a wolf.

Her ears pricked as she heard something else in the distance. It was not a noise made by a wolf or another traveler. No, it was hardly even a noise but it was enough for her to question it. It was almost like something just moving out in the darkness. It was almost just a sense that something was out there.

Opening her eyes, she glanced over at Thorin. He hadn't heard it so she questioned her own hearing. Her hearing was fine. Sitting quietly, she held her breath and the sound eventually came again. Eyes widening, she sat up and the noise was heard once again.

"What is it?" Thorin sat up, the pipe in his hand now forgotten. She simply shook her head as a silent warning to be quiet. Simply looking at each other, Thorin strained his ears to hear anything but the next sound to be heard was very easy to detect.

A loud horse whinny sounded in the distance, followed by a high pitched scream. Immediately, Ren's hand shot from beneath her cloak to her bow and quiver. Slinging the dark cloak across her shoulders, she also picked up a faint yet sadistic laugh in the distance.

She buckled her quiver into place as she ran to the horses who were dozing in the dark trees. Finding her black horse in the dark, she untied the rope from his bridle and swung up on his bare back.

"Ya!" She yelled as she kicked him in the sides and ran passed the camp, the rest of the dwarves scrambling to their feet as Thorin barked at them to get up and ready their weapons. He knew not what waited for them in the darkness. Thorin watched as she pulled the hood of her charcoal cloak over her head, both horse and rider disappearing into blackness of the night.

Bilbo was hardly aware of what was happening at the moment. Dwarves were flying around the camp, scrambling to grab their things and yelling at the top of their lungs as they readied for battle. Gandalf simply opened his pale blue eyes but didn't make a move to rise.

He supposed that with Ren at the lead, things would handled appropriately and the problem would be dealt with swiftly.

Flying through the darkness, her sharp eyes could see the faint flicker of a fire in the far distance. Another whinny could be heard, causing Chief's ears to perk forward which only spurred him forward. The laughter also seemed to increase in volume as they drew closer, causing Ren to grit her teeth. The screaming was also getting louder.

Suddenly, she burst through the trees and into the small clearing where the fire was located. Sharp eyes taking in everything around her, adrenaline pumped through her veins. Chief also reared up and the three orcs turned to look at her wide eyed. That was not the most disturbing part.

With her hair entangled in one of the filthy orc's hand, a young girl's neck was twisted at an awkward angle. Her eyes were wide as she took in the large horse and seemingly faceless rider, reminding her of one of the terrible tales of the Nazgûl that her parents had warned her about.

Her horse was tied to a tree and the large beast was rearing up and trying to break free at the desperate calls of his rider.

Pulling the bow from her back, an arrow was instantly knocked and pulling the string back, fired and killed the orc holding the girl. He dropped to the ground, dead. Not the blink of an eye later, a second arrow was protruding from the neck of the second orc. Just as Ren was about to fire a third arrow, the head of the last orc just fell to the ground. The crude body also collapsed to reveal Thorin, his sword stained black with orc blood.

The rest of the dwarves had just now caught up and came through the trees as well, all sporting their weapons and looking menacing though they were heavily panting from the long run. Ren lowered her bow to her side and slid from Chief's back, the horse now calmed and rooted in place. Cooing to him, she patted his soft nose.

Upon looking back to the girl, Ren noticed that, in her hands, she held a gleaming sword also stained with black orc blood. She was visibly shaking and the sword rattled in her palms as she thought them to be more attackers. Glancing at Thorin, he simply sent a confused look her way and she could only roll her eyes.

Looking her over, Ren noticed that she was wearing a tunic and trousers, an oddity when it came to women though she considered herself an exception. For she was an exception for everything. She also had dark blonde hair and her hazel eyes sparkled in the flickering firelight. Also glancing at her horse, she noticed that the saddle upon his back was of Rohirric make judging on the elegant golden horses that lept across the brown leather. Very odd.

Ren prayed that this would work.

"_We are of no harm to you_!" Ren pushed back the hood of her cloak to reveal her face as she spoke. "_We only came upon hearing the noises of your distress_!" The girl looked confused as she dropped her sword slightly in confusion, her eyes flickering around the group before coming to focus on the woman before her.

"_You speak Rohirric_?" Ren only nodded, her hands still raised in the air, signalling that she was of no harm. The girl looked at the dwarves again. "_Who are they_?" She nodded in their direction, her grip tightening upon the sword again.

"_They are simply the company I am traveling with_..." Noticing how the girl's wide eyes continued to dart from dwarf to dwarf, Ren grumbled internally. Looking to Thorin, her brow furrowed.

"Can you please give us some room to breathe?" She nearly snarled. Thorin's gaze was murderous as he gazed at her, not understanding a single word that passed between the two females. He did not speak the language of the Horse Lords. How she came to know this language was lost on his mind.

However, the dwarf lord nodded his head to his fellow dwarves and they lowered their weapons before retreating back slightly so that the girl felt more comfortable.

"_They shall not harm you. None of us will. We have food and a soft bed for you to sleep on_." Ren watched as the girl seemed to think things over for a moment. Finally deciding what she must do, the young girl sheathed her sword. "_However, you must tell me why a young girl such as yourself is wandering the woods by herself_." The girl looked at her with uncertainty for a moment. After a second passed, the girl slowly nodded her head before she approached her own horse.

Noticing that her tunic was ripped and hung on her small shoulders, almost revealing inappropriate things, Ren's eyes widened and she rushed forward as she unbuckled the cloak from around her shoulders. As she came to stand beside her, Ren draped it over her small and shaking body in an attempt to protect her decency.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Ren's eyes found Thorin's as they moved silently passed him. Just from the cold look he was giving her, she could tell he was not pleased with her and the new development they had come across. She would deal with one problem at a time.

Their horses snorted as they were led off through the darkness side by side, both steeds still a bit worked up from the events that had taken place only moments ago.

After he watched the two of them go, the dark haired dwarf only took note of the number of orcs lying dead on the ground. Two of them had arrows protruding from their necks, most likely from Lady Ren, the others had died at the hands of himself and, seeing the dark stains upon her long sword, the girl herself.

Barking at Kili and Fili to extinguish the fire, the heirs did as they were told, both watching as Ren and the unknown girl made their way back to the camp.

The walk back to the camp was a lot longer than the ride there had been.

"What were you doing running off into the-" The hobbit began to speak upon seeing them coming through the trees but stopped upon seeing Ren's somber face and the new addition to their group. "Never mind..."

Moving passed him, Ren tied the girl's horse up beside Chief and left them to nibble on the grass.

Leading her over to her own bedroll, Ren was about to have her sit down but then stopped when she saw red on the girl's hand. "You're bleeding." Ren observed quietly before pulling her hand into the light of the fire so that she could see properly. Noticing that the blood was dripping from the ends of her fingers, she pulled back the sleeve of her tunic to reveal a long and angry cut, the girl hissing in pain. "This needs to be cleaned!"

Gandalf watched as Ren began to lead the girl away towards the stream located off in the trees. "And just where do you think _you _are going?" Both of them stopped at the dwarf lord's words and turned back to face him. Ren's eyes burned with anger as she gazed at the scowling dwarf.

"Can't a woman simply clean herself around here? But I wouldn't expect you to understand. Dwarves do not care for personal hygine. So if I must get your permission to do so, may we _go wash up_?" Ren snapped as she leaned forward, her long hair falling over her shoulder. Her eyebrows were almost raised in a mocking manner and her lips were pursed.

"Off with you then!" Gandalf spoke for the dwarf who was left speechless at her tone. Said dwarf turned to the wizard with a dark look upon his face.

"Thank you, Gandalf!" Ren smiled in the wizard's direction. The two women turned and left the silent Company. Stopping at her bag, she also pulled out a clean tunic and trousers for the girl. Also dropping her satchel over her shoulder, she offered the girl a fingerless gloved hand. With her big, innocent hazel eyes, she slipped her smaller hand into her own and for the first time since the quest began, the dwarves saw her smile.

Actually smile.

Disappearing into the darkness, the wizard did not need to worry for the two females. Ren had survived long enough on her own. She would not need someone to watch her. She had grown up in the safety of the forest. She had learned nearly all that could be learned. She was not the little girl she once was. Which meant that he need not worry for her safety any longer.

Bilbo could only open his mouth to question the wizard about the new arrival but was silenced by a shake of the head from the older man.

It was a delicate situation as it was. He didn't need to spur the angry dwarf further.

* * *

A good while later, the two females returned from their washing up, both of their hair still stringy and damp from being properly washed. Ren was also speaking in the strange language from before, causing the younger girl to smile and laugh merrily, completely confusing the dwarves.

Leading her over to her own bedroll, Ren forced her to sit down.

Bombur had tentatively prepared a bowl of stew and placed it into the hands of the once shaking female. Ren muttered a soft thank you as she watched the girl tentatively take a spoonful into her mouth. Deciding that it was of good taste, she silently sat and began to empty the bowl of its delicious contents.

"Would you like it if I braided your hair?" Ren asked quietly. The girl smiled shyly and nodded her head. Accepting her answer, Ren pulled a wooden brush from the bag still hung over her shoulder. Moving to sit behind the girl, Kili and Fili watched with fascination as she ran the brush through the delicate golden strands.

Weaving the girl's hair together into a thick plait, it was a simple yet delicate weave. Judging by its looks though, it was sure a sturdy thing and both dwarves exchanged a smile at seeing her craftsmanship. She was skilled the art of hair braiding and both dwarves were amazed how easily and efficiently her fingers moved through her hair.

"I need to speak to you." Thorin's voice cut through the quiet like a knife. Looking away from the braid, Ren's blue eyes fell on the dwarf lord, her hands stilling in the process. As she gazed calmly at his face, she only a small bit of anger lingering in the depths of his eyes. She blinked before looking back to the long braid before her.

"Very well." Finishing the very end of the weave, she fastened it with a cord of leather. Draping the gray cloak around the girl's shoulders once more, Ren rose from the ground and Thorin walked off into the darkness and out of the fire light.

Gandalf noticed that the young girl's eyes followed his old friend until she disappeared from sight. However, when she turned back to the group, her hazel eyes were wide with uncertainty as she gazed at the twelve dwarves, one hobbit, and a wizard.

"Yes?" She asked quietly once they were out of ear shot.

"I would like for you to tell me exactly why you can speak_ Elvish_?!" He hissed at her, his words becoming venomous as he leaned towards her. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced over her form which stood rigidly a good distance away from him.

"It was _not_ Elvish..." Her blue eyes met his. "If you would have actually listened, you would have found that it was _Rohirric_..."

"Then would you like to explain to me why you can speak the language of the Horse Lords?" He growled once again and he saw the fire that lit in her eyes die slightly as she was assaulted by her memories.

She was quietly for a moment before she decided to speak.

"When someone is pushed from their home, they must learn to survive by any means necessary. I learned to speak Rohirric because the Horse Lords were kind and offered me shelter that was more of a home to me than my actual home was..." Ren replied simply, her eyes leaving his to focus on her leather boots.

Thorin felt curiosity building in his stomach and he stopped rubbing his beard upon hearing her words. She had given up some information about herself. Since he had learned that she spoke Rohirric, he simply thought that she herself was from Rohan. It appeared as though he was wrong.

"And _she_ is from Rohan?" He nodded back in the direction of the fire. "The girl?"

"I do not believe so..." Came her simple answer. They both looked back at the small form of the girl, Ren guessing her to be no older than twenty five or so years of age. "Her light hair and hazel eyes seem to be that of the horse people but her clothing says otherwise..."

Thorin let his thoughts roll around in his mind for a moment, his hand reaching up to stroke his beard. "Still... Why is she by herself? Surely someone has noticed that she has gone missing."

"I wish not to press her about her family or home. She has not even given me her name. I have this sneaking suspicion that she still does not trust any of us."

"But, what do you think of her? Is she a threat to the quest?" He snapped and stepped towards her again. He saw a bit of irritation flit into her eyes at his words. Maybe he should not have asked so harshly.

"No." She rolled her eyes. Looking back to the fire, she could see the small form of the girl beneath her gray cloak, her hazel eyes gazing intently into the fire. "She was simply passing through and our paths happened to cross..." A faint smile pulled at her lips.

A question continued to pull at the back of his mind, one important question.

"Yet even though she is a stranger, it is as if you know her...?" Thorin asked, his tone surprisingly soft. Ren sighed, a slight smile playing on her lips as she gazed back at the dark haired dwarf.

"Yes, you could say I know her. Or more, I know the life she has been living. I think that I felt the need to care for her because she reminds me of myself when I was younger. She is like a filly who has just dropped from her mother and taken her first breath. She's just now learning about the wobbly legs beneath her. Give her time and she'll be frolicking with the other foals. And when she does, she will be nearly unstoppable!"

Memories bubbling to the surface, a soft smile lit her face. Thorin noticed this and felt his own lips pull upward. For at one time in his own long life, he had also been a colt learning about his own unstable legs.

"I do not wish to leave her alone in the woods with orcs prowling about. Would I be imposing to ask that she would travel with us?" Seeing Thorin's jaw clench Ren proceeded with her words. "But we should come upon Bree in the next day or so and I would feel more comfortable to leave her there with civilization..."

She could see the silent battle being waged behind the dwarf's eyes. His arms crossed themselves over his chest as he gazed back at the small form of the girl who was seated next to his nephews.

"Please, Master Oakenshield." Looking away from the girl, the woman's eyes before him had softened considerably. She was begging him to let her bring the girl. And even as he thought things through, he did not like the idea of leaving a child in the woods alone.

A heavy sigh escaped through his nose and he shut his eyes before he raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Very well." Upon opening his eyes, he caught the last glimpses of a smile on her face before she simply bowed her head in silent thanks. Without another word, he pushed passed her and headed back towards the fire so that he may return to his brooding. He still didn't like anything about the situation.

It did prove how skilled of a hunter Ren was. Maybe she wasn't as big of a hindrance to the Company as Thorin first through.

Ren soon joined the rest of the company, Gandalf shooting her a knowing gaze. The female simply wrinkled her nose at him before taking a place beside the small girl. Ren was surprised to find that both Fili and Kili were seated before the girl, talking quietly.

"She is kind of a pretty thing!" Kili leaned over to his brother. They were blatantly speaking loud enough for her to hear, apparently assuming that she only spoke Rohirric and no other language. The girl blushed. The golden haired dwarf simply smirked before nudging his brother playfully in the shoulder. "Does she have a name?"

"She will not tell me..." Ren replied quietly, smiling at the Rohirric child as she carefully stroked her thick braid. Giving her a sheepish smile, the girl simply looked back between the dwarves with her large hazel eyes.

"_Are dwarves usually this forward_?" She quietly asked Ren, never taking her eyes from Kili. Ren watched as his cheeks blazed red as she gazed intently at him.

"What did she say?" Kili asked, his blue eyes frantically seeking Ren. She merely chuckled before shaking her head.

"She says that she has never seen more handsome dwarves in all her life..." Ren teased, causing the blonde child to look at her with wide hazel eyes. That was not what she had said at all.

"Is that really what she said?" Fili asked, looking at the girl before them. Ren replied with, "Why don't you ask her for yourself?" The older brother looked at his dark haired sibling before they nodded. "Can you speak Common Tongue?" Kili asked quietly, intently looking to the Rohirric girl again.

They watched as she slowly nodded her head.

"Why won't you speak to us?" Fili asked quietly, wondering exactly why she hadn't said anything to either of them.

"I did not because I simply do not wish to speak." She replied in a soft tone. Both dwarves' eyes lit upon hearing the words come from her mouth, Ren's own eyes glowing with pride as well. At least she would also speak with the younger dwarves.

"I hate to break up your conversation but it is late. You need to rest. You've have had a terribly long day. Find sleep." Ren commanded the girl and young dwarves. The girl did not protest and instead decided to lie down and do as Ren commanded.

She was extremely tired after all. Kili and Fili also sent Ren a look before she inclined her brows, signalling that they should simply do as she said.

Grumbling as they moved back to their own beds, Ren placed her gray cloak over the girl before moving to return to her bags to retrieve her other dark green cloak. By the time that she returned to the girl, her hazel eyes were closed shut as she slept, her mouth slightly open as she breathed in the fresh forest air.

Kili and Fili both smiled slightly as Ren came back into the light. Both of them liked the new addition to their Company.

Thorin and Dwalin had also sat together and had been quietly discussing things. Taking a seat beside the girl, Ren lay back in the soft green grass and her eyes met Thorin's for a moment.

Peering back at him, their blue eyes gazed into one another before he looked away when Dwalin called his name as he drew him back into the conversation they had been having before he was distracted with the odd woman.

Allowing her eyes to slide closed, Ren took a deep breath through her nose. Feeling her body relax upon the cushioned ground, she focused her hearing upon the quiet breathing of the child next to her and let it lull her to sleep, knowing that she had been able to save one life that day.

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed for the last chapter! **

**I might not be able to update a lot next week, considering that I will be super busy. Homecoming is this week and I have a lot of duties that need to be tended to, considering that I made it as one of the royals. **

** Anyway, just stay tuned!**

**Love,**

**Ren**

**P.S. Does anyone have any idea who the weird girl in the woods is? I'll give you a virtual cookie if you can guess correctly! Private massage me with the answer!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Ren!" The woman felt her eyes begin to flutter open as she sensed that someone was calling her back into consciousness. "Dare I say it once more, Ren! Wake up!" She now realized that it was Gandalf's voice she was hearing and decided if it was best to just comply with the old man. She slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them slightly as she sat up.

She raised her eyes to look up at the tall man as he stared down at her with his pale blue eyes, a small smile on his face. "My child, you have grown lazy in your years!" She grumbled as she sat up, wearily wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"I suppose I have, Gandalf..." She didn't try to even protest. It was early and she didn't like to quarrel before the sun was high enough in the sky. Looking to her left, the woman watched as the girl's eyes slowly opened as well.

"Good morning." Ren said quietly as the girl's hazel eyes focused on her bleary form. She smiled softly at the younger girl as she rubbed her eyes just as a child would when they had just awoken. She also replied with the same greeting before gently pushing the cloak from her body as she sat up.

The rest of the Company began to rise as well, each of them grumbling and protesting from their late night run through the woods to rescue the girl. Not to mention that their backsides were still sore from numerous days of riding.

Standing up with a small sound as she stretched out her muscles, Ren moved to the horses and ponies before beginning to prepare them. Chief snorted in greeting as she stroked his long face and ruffled his dark hair. Blaze also bobbed her head in greeting while the girl's large horse also nickered upon seeing her familiar horse.

Curiosity teeming, she approached the tall beast before stroking his large face. Also moving her hands down to his neck and across his soft coat, she took note of all the rippling muscles under his reddish coat. He also was lean and had legs that went on for what felt like forever. She smiled to herself as she let his long tail fall through her fingers. He was fast, maybe faster than her own midnight beast.

This young stallion was a Mearas.

"Good morning, Ren!" Fili and Kili chimed in unison as they also set to work. She looked over the back of the tall horse as she stopped in her ogling, the stallion sending the small dwarves an odd look as if he were curious as to what they were. He had only ever dealt with tall people in his life.

"Good morning, Master Dwarves." She called back to them, both of them stopping in their work to share a look of amazement. She had actually greeted them. She had talked.

This girl was changing the Lady before them.

"Please, Lady Ren! It's only Fili-"

"-And Kili!" They chimed and the blonde female could only smile before she slung the girl's saddle upon the stallion's back.

"Very well..." She tightened the girth before patting the horse's side as she grew silent. "Fili and Kili..." She said quietly as she grinned to herself before finishing with the Mearas.

For she was glad that they had told her that. It meant that she was accepted by at least a _few_ members of the dwarven Company.

Finishing their tasks and mounting their steeds, the Company was about to move out. Ren shared a look with Thorin before allowing him to pass upon Bungo, knowing that it would make the dwarf happiest to lead _his_ Company on _his_ adventure. It was only for his own pride's sake though so she would quiet herself.

The large black horse soon followed behind the sturdy pony and then motioning for her to follow, the girl urged her large horse forward as well as the two stallions walked along beside one another.

The odd group rode in silence for the most part, save for the laughing of the younger dwarves among them. As the day passed, Ren felt her curiosity beginning to grow. She wished to know just exactly what the girl's name was.

Looking for the girl, she had drifted to walk behind her so she pulled back on the reins to let her catch up so that they could fall into step together.

"So, if you will not give me a name, I'm afraid I must give you one myself. Hmm... _Brēosa_, I think it's suitable enough, no?" Ren smiled and she laughed upon seeing the girl's face at the confusion. "_Your horse. He is fast. One of the fastest I've ever seen. He runs with the speed of the wind, yes?_" The girl was still confused about her new name but said nothing about it.

"_How do you know_?" She asked her quietly, patting the neck of her valiant steed. Ren muttered something else in Rohirric, causing the girl's eyes to go wide in shock and something akin to complete amazement.

Balin noticed this but couldn't pick up on the swift chatter between the two. They spoke rather quickly and the younger girl seemed completely bewildered by something that Ren had said. It seemed as thought the girl questioned the older woman who merely nodded her head in confirmation.

It was at this time that the girl laughed out loud, completely shocked about something Ren had revealed to her. Balin could only smile as he watched the two, a happy smile upon Ren's face, one of the first and few he had seen yet.

Ahead of them, Thorin had listened to the two of them chatter. Now risking a glance back at the two females, Ren had been the only one to catch his dark glare which quieted her yet the young girl continued to question her.

She knew that it would be in her best mind to stay on his good side. He was to be a King once they reclaimed Erebor. But most importantly, he was still allowing her to travel with his group.

"How close are we to Bree?" He barked back at her. Sharing a look with the younger girl, Ren quickly urged Chief forward and the horse trotted ahead to fall into step beside little Bungo. Thorin glanced over his shoulder and watched as she approached. She towered over him on the back of her tall horse and she shadowed his lower form. "Are we close?"

She wrinkled her nose up in thought for a moment before she turned to look at their surroundings to check their position. "We should reach Bree just before nightfall of the next day, I believe." They should have already reached Bree by now but the group had been traveling at a very slow pace. The dwarf nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I also think it would be a good idea to spend the night in Bree so we may stock up on supplies. We won't come across another market for some time after we pass through..." She told him and he thought this over once more before he agreed, much to her surprise.

"And then I walked up to her bent down to kiss her and she laughed in my face!" Ren's sharp ears easily picked up Kili's voice behind them. Turning back, the two leaders at the head of the group gazed at the dark haired dwarf. He was telling a story to the quiet Rohirric girl. "She said, 'Why, you don't even have a beard!' and stormed off! I've never been so embarrassed my whole life!" He cried, causing Ren to smile slightly.

Surprise also came across the group when the girl laughed as well. All looking at her in awe, the dwarves exchanged bright smiles of triumph.

"Why, that is quite terrible!" The girl said, a sad smile on her face. "I don't know why she laughed at you. You're a very handsome dwarf!" She insisted, which caused Kili's cheeks to burn bright red.

"You're too kind, my lady..." He grinned sheepishly before he looked up at her from under his dark lashes, his cheeks still tinged pink.

"Your nephew seems to be quite the little charmer!" Ren faced forward once again before she quietly spoke to Thorin who simply shook his head, his lips set in a firm line upon seeing his sister's son acting so foolish around the female.

"He should be focusing on the quest and not some silly female." He growled out, causing Ren's smile to fall. Thorin had also noticed a change in the woman beside him the moment she had set eyes upon the helpless girl. She was changing.

"He is young. He cannot help himself." She shook his foul mood off as she smiled fondly as she looked back at the two. The blonde girl was sandwiched between both of Thorin's nephews, a large smile lighting her face and making it appear as if she glowed in the sunlight.

This strange feeling that Ren got from her, this feeling that the girl didn't smile all that often was gone as she looked at the happy child between the dwarves.

"He seems to make her happy as he does her..." Ren also noted after a few minutes. Thorin had become awfully quiet as he rode beside her and he slowly turned his head to look at her once more. His blue eyes were hard as he gazed at her, wanting for her to simply drop the subject. "And that's all that matters..." She said before digging her heels into her horse's side as she gritted her teeth in anger.

How he could be so cold hearted was really lost on her mind.

The black beast leap forward and galloped on ahead, leaving Thorin behind to ride with himself in a trail of her dust. She continued to gallop ahead for a short while until she rounded the corner and lost sight of the Company all together.

She continued to trot on until she came across a thick grove of trees. Stopping her horse, she listened for a moment to the wildlife around her. There was bound to be something she could hunt. Also since she was now eating their food, she felt as though she should contribute to what they would consume.

She quietly steered Chief into the trees. After traveling a short distance into the foliage, she slipped off his back and loosely tied his reins around a tree so he could graze on the grass that lay between the trees.

Taking the bow from her back, she quietly notched an arrow and dropped down into a stealthy crouch. She moved quietly and efficiently through the underbrush, her feet never stepping on a twig or dry leaves.

Listening to the sounds around her, she stopped when she heard the familiar call of a wild turkey off in the distance. Smiling to herself, she moved forward, closer to where the noise was coming from.

Coming up over a ridge, she stumbled upon a whole group of the wild birds. Four toms were strutting around with their feathers unfolded. At least a dozen females were standing around. Choosing an older tom, she fired the arrow which sailed quickly through the air, effectively killing it.

Drawing more arrows, more turkeys fell until the group had completely fled, leaving a wild trail of fluttering feathers in their wake. Four turkeys lie dead on the ground, arrows all protruding from their still warm bodies. Returning her bow to her back, she went to retrieve her kill in the clearing.

As she pulled the arrows free from their bodies, she smirked as she placed the birds upon her back. Retracing her steps back to Chief, she untied him before climbing up on his back and heading back to the road where she knew the group would soon be passing by.

* * *

The Company had simply been walking along, minding their own business when suddenly Dwalin heard something snap a twig in the tree line. He had been riding next to Thorin, chatting quietly with one another when he heard it.

"Thorin." The rugged warrior muttered quietly, nudging him with his elbow. The dark haired dwarf turned to look at him and he raised a finger up to his lips to keep him quiet.

Almost as if the Company had heard the exchange, they also grew quiet. Kili shared a look with his brother and the blonde dwarf nodded. The younger dwarf slowly reached behind him and pulled his smaller bow from his back in preparation for an attack.

The noise in the trees ceased and all the dwarves were silent. Then, without warning, Ren burst through the trees on the back of her black horse. This scared all the ponies and they began to whinny loudly and prance about with fright.

Gandalf's horse, Blaze, simply chewed the ball of grass in her mouth calmly, as if she had known Chief was coming out to prance around the entire time. Said stallion was whinnying with almost delight at the trouble he caused and he pranced around joyfully, throwing his head up and down in delight.

Ren held the reins tightly in her hand, the other holding up a couple of dead turkeys. Gandalf also sat quietly on Blaze, a smile bright on his face at the sight of the smirking woman and her most recent kill.

The girl also fought to remain on the back of her horse but smiled nonetheless.

The ponies soon began to settle down upon seeing the familiar horse and rider. Thorin turned his harsh gaze on the woman, angry at her for scarring the ponies and the company.

"What have you got there, lassie?" Balin asked once things had calmed completely. All of them were eyeing the turkeys in her hand, a few of them licking their lips. Three days without completely fresh meat was a long time, especially for the dwarvish men.

"Fresh food for your Company!" She beamed brightly before she guided Chief over toward Bombur to hand off the turkeys. He gratefully accepted them and hung them from his saddle so that they would have them later that night. They would most certainly have a feast.

* * *

As the day grew late, the sky began to fall in the sky and the Company pulled off into the trees beside the road as they had the previous nights before. After the group successfully had a fire going, the turkeys that Ren had hunted were roasting over the open flame and filling the clearing with wonderful smells.

Once again, the young girl had migrated towards the older blonde and had taken to quietly discussing things with her. Yet, after their fine meal of wild turkey, the two younger members of the dwarvish Company couldn't resist to sit around and talk to the girl themselves.

Ren had this sneaking suspicion that both boys, _especially_ Kili, were a little love struck.

"You can use a sword?" Fili asked with interest as he eyed the work of art at her side. The girl just smiled before nodding, her hand resting on the hilt of said sword.

"Are you any good?" Kili asked as he scooted closer to her. She smiled but then shrugged her shoulders, keeping her modest appearance that she held over the young dwarves. "Can you show us?" She looked at Ren for a moment before the woman nodded in encouragement. With triumphant smiles, Kili and Fili rose from the ground and towed the girl off to the emptier side of the camp so that they could see just what she could do.

The blonde woman watched as the two dwarves picked up their own weapons before they began to speak with the girl about how she came by the sword. She said it was her father's before it came into her own possession.

Ren stored this away into her memories that revolved around the girl.

Hearing the shuffling of feet and the grumblings of an old man, Ren looked away from the trio to watch as Gandalf seated himself on the log beside her with a loud groan.

"How is she?" He asked as he took his long pipe out from the folds of his robe and began to smoke. Ren just shrugged before folding her arms across her chest, the small cloud of smoke drifting around the two of them.

"She doesn't seem so nervous around the rest of the group now. Especially those two..." She nodded towards the trio and the both of them watched as the seemingly Rohirric child cracked a large grin and laughed at a remark one of the brothers had made. "Don't tell Thorin, but I think Kili's love struck!" The wizard smiled before chuckling and blowing a smoke ring into the air.

"Yes, I suppose he would not be pleased to hear that one of his heirs has fallen for the strange girl. Has she revealed to you anything about her home?"

"She's not from Gondor nor Rohan. When she spoke of it, she mentioned that it had freezing winters and blazing hot summers..." Gandalf mulled this over for a bit as he nibbled on the end of his pipe.

"She's not from the East..." He muttered to Ren as he thought. They both looked back at the girl to see that they were about to spar in the firelight.

"No, I would say that she was more from the N-" Her sentence stopped short as she gazed back at the blonde child. At the opportune moment, little _Brēosa_ had drawn her blade and the reflection shown right into the woman's eyes so that she could see... everything.

Gandalf watched as her mouth slowly closed before a far off look entered her eyes. Her body stilled and her breathing grew shallow. Gandalf looked around the camp to see that everyone was luckily busy doing something instead of watching the old friends converse with one another off to the side. Except, the odd look in her eye did not escape the eyes of the Company's burglar.

After a few minutes passed, Ren suddenly took a deep breath and her eyes closed out of habit. Coming back to her senses, she simply stared back at the child who was sparing with the dwarves before a small smile tugged at her lips. Looking back to her wizard friend, Ren couldn't help but smile fully.

"What was it?"

"One day, she'll be great... Very great..." Ren said before running a hand through her hair. However a disturbed look came over her face and Gandalf knew why the sudden disturbance. If he recalled, she hadn't had an episode in many years yet it seemed as if that had changed.

"Do you care to clarify?" He mused, a small smile playing on his own lips.

"No. Not really. That would just be ruining all the fun!" She smiled before rising from her spot and heading off to go feed the horses as she had every night.

Gandalf only looked after her before shaking his head in concern. _Oh, Ren._ He thought to himself. _Whatever shall we do with you?_

* * *

A light rain fell down upon the group as they passed by through the thick grove of trees before the land opened up. In the distance, you could see the soft twinkle of lanterns as they finally reached civilization. Thorin couldn't help but sigh through his nose in relief, glad that they had reached the village.

The group continued forward, their horses' hooves sloshing through the puddles of rain that had accumulated throughout the day. Finally, Bungo came to a stop before the great gate that kept unwanted visitors outside of the town.

"What is your business in Bree?" Thorin could only give a heated glare to the man behind the gate. He was young at that and had an unpleasant frown on his face as he gazed out across the group. He had tried getting into the village multiple times yet the man wouldn't let them pass without reason and Thorin didn't want to reveal their quest to some simpleton.

But then a thought struck the dwarf lord. What do most young men like? Pretty faces.

Turning around in his saddle, he gazed back into his group to find the person he was looking for a good distance back. She was luckily looking back at him when he turned, her blue eyes barely peering out from underneath the deep hood she had pulled up over her head. He could only guess that she could easily get them into the city without answering any question with her soft features and inviting smile.

Giving her a sideways look, he motioned over to the man behind the gate with a slight tilt of his head.

She looked back at him from underneath her hood, not receiving his message entirely as she cocked her head to the side in confusion. She knew it had something to do with the man behind the gate. He sighed before raising both his eyebrows before jerking his head in the direction of the gate.

Finally getting his silent message, she narrowed her eyes at him before urging Chief forward. The large black horse nickered as he stepped forward, forcing the smaller ponies out of his way so that she eventually came to stand right before the gate. The black stallion even snorted in annoyance as he brushed Bungo out of the way so that Ren could peer at the man through the peephole in the fence.

Readying herself, she pulled her hood back slightly before looking up at the man through her eyelashes which she batted in a flirtatious manner. The young man's mouth simply dropped open.

"U-Uhm... Um..." He managed to stutter out.

"We simply wish to use your inn, young master..." She batted her eyelashes again. The boy only hesitated for a moment before he rushed to open the gate. For he had been entranced by the unseen beauty that lay beneath her dark hood.

While he was busy, Ren sent a triumphant smirk at Thorin who only rolled his eyes in annoyance. If she hadn't known she was beautiful before, she certainly knew now. Leading the Company inside, she only bowed her head in thanks to the young man, only for his cheeks to blaze and he tipped his hat at her.

"Would you like me to show you to the stables?" He asked timidly and she could only smile and nod. Taking a hold of her horse's reigns, the boy lead the black horse through the streets of Bree, chatting with the lady the entire way. Eventually, they reached the nearly empty stables of the town.

Ren was not the least bit shocked that the boy from earlier had a discussion with the stable boy and their horses and ponies were soon situated in the warm stalls. Slipping the saddle off Chief's back, she placed it on the stand beside his stall before reaching for a stiff bristled brush that lay in the bottom of her bag. Slipping her hand under the leather strap, she began to run it up and down his sides and the stallion didn't hesitate before lowering his head and nibbling on the oats provided.

When she peered over the horse's back, she noticed Thorin had steely blue eyes on her as he also cared for his chocolate stallion. Quickly adverting her eyes, she went back to brushing the stomach of the beast before her.

Slinging her saddle bags across her shoulder that wasn't equip with a bow, she patted Chief once more on the rear before heading out the doors of the stable and to the inn, not caring if her hair began stringing due to the mist that still hung in the air. At least the rain had stopped.

They were to stay at the Prancing Pony if she had made the correct arrangements ahead of time and she looked up upon hearing the squeaking of the wooden sign as it swung in the chilled breeze that passed through the streets of Bree.

Marching into the pub, she noticed that she was the first of their group to arrive and she approached a man behind a desk.

"Hello, miss! How may I help a lovely lady like yourself?" She smiled at the kind man before answering, "I was here about a week ago. I made arrangements for four rooms?"

The man looked down at the book before him, his finger tracing alongside the scrawl of writing. "Oh, yes! Right here! Lady Ren, is it?" She nodded and then he looked back up at her. "Rooms 3,4,5, and 6!" He then looked at her expectantly.

"I paid in advance..." She told him and he narrowed his eyes slightly before looking back down at the book. "My apologize, my lady! I hope you and your Company have a nice stay!" She nodded her thanks before heading up to one of the rooms that she had rented for the night.

It had not been cheap and took quite a bit of her gold that she had saved over all the years but she knew that in the end, it would hopefully be worth it.

It wasn't like she hadn't stayed once or twice at the inn in her travels so she knew exactly where the rooms were located at.

Walking up to room 3, she entered and found it to be lit by the fireplace inside. Four beds were done up neatly for them and she sighed before tossing her saddle bags onto the covers off the bed closest to the door. Unbuckling the quiver from around her shoulders, she also put the bow aside before searching through her bags for one thing in particular.

When she found the bag of what was left of her gold, she tossed it into the air before catching it and making her way back out of the warm room. Adjusting the strap of the satchel on her hip, she made her way back down the stairs.

She needed to buy plenty of supplies and she knew just where to get them. There was a rather large set of shops and stalls that carried many goods and it was abundant with trade that was often set up just down the street from the inn. Naturally, she wished to visit.

On her way out the front door, she caught sight of the dwarves who were about to enter the inn.

"I have your rooms already." She told them which ones were their's and then nodded before moving to leave.

"Ren?" She stopped and looked back at the troop of dwarves. Fili had been the one to ask. "Where are you going?"

"Yes, that is indeed a good question..." Thorin rumbled from beside his nephew and the woman sighed upon receiving his harsh look. Every time she tried to do anything, her actions were questioned as if she were some sort of criminal. It was getting old.

"I'm going to restock on things that I need in the market just around that corner..." She pointed before looking back to the dwaf lord. "Or do I need your permission to do that as well, _my lord_?" Thorin narrowed his eyes at her before turning away from her and entering the inn.

Exchanging a look with Gandalf, she shook her head before moving to leave once more.

"L-Lady Ren?" A timid voice called from behind her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and licked her lips before turning back around. Bilbo stood before her, a small bag clutched in his hands.

"Yes, Master Hobbit?"

"I-I was just... I was wondering if I could go and explore the market with you?" He smiled shyly and Ren could tell he was nervous when speaking with her. She seriously debated on whether or not to allow him to come with her but in the end decided to grant his wish.

"Very well. Come along then!" She smiled down at him. In return, he beamed brightly before rushing over to her side and together, the two made their way to the rather bustling marketplace of Bree in search of the various items that would be needed in the future.

* * *

When they returned to the inn a few hours later, the both of them were laughing merrily and carrying all that they had purchased at the lovely market. Bilbo had only heard stories of the wondrous things you could buy in Bree but now he had had the chance to bear witness to all of them.

The hobbit had really only bought things of comfort. For instance, he purchased half a dozen pocket handkerchiefs for the journey and he was relieved to have some bit of hygienic habits still with him.

Ren, however, bought other things and she was saddened by the fact that her pouch was empty of its golden contents. She had spent her earnings on things like medicines, food for the horses, a few special arrows that were meant only for hunting, and a new shirt and pants for the girl that she had taken under her wing.

Entering the door to the inn, Ren stepped inside and held it open for her smaller friend who thanked her before stepping over the threshold.

Once the door closed behind them, they were greeted by the laughing Company of dwarves as well as the warmth that the large fireplace brought to the room. With the chance that they had, the dwarves decided to indulge themselves on the ale and mead that the Prancing Pony offered to its inhabitants.

Her sharp eyes scanned the room and she was a bit worried when she could not find the girl. As if Gandalf could hear her thoughts, he looked from the fire where he had been staring and his eyes flickered up to the stair well. Ah, so she was in their room.

Having Bilbo accompany her, Ren walked over to the staircase, only to feel steely eyes on her the entire time. She ignored them though, knowing the harsh gaze to belong to none other than the leader of their Company.

They entered the room number 3 where she found the blonde child sitting on one of the four beds, reading a book that she had found on the dusty shelf in the corner. She looked up upon hearing them enter and she smiled widely at her two companions.

"I hope we have not interrupted anything?" Ren asked and the girl laughed quietly before shaking her head as if it were the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "I bought you some new clothes..." She tossed the small bundle onto the girl's bed and she looked up at her protector.

"Really?" Ren nodded without looking away from her other packages. "Thank you!"

Bilbo was amazed when she spoke. He had never heard her utter a word before. He didn't say anything about it though.

Once Ren had stowed away her things, she undid the vambraces around her wrists, her left one first before she stopped upon doing the right one. In the flickering light from the fireplace, Ren looked down at the ties that bound the armor to her wrist and in between the thick string, she could see the faint twinkle of the metal secured around her wrist.

Bilbo also noticed this. And he was confused when she put the other vambrace back on and tied it in place. Again, he didn't comment on the strange actions.

"I'm going downstairs to get something to drink. Would you like anything?" She startled the hobbit with her question. He blinked a few times before he reached down into his small bag and withdrew a few pieces.

"I'll have a tea and you can use what's left to buy something for yourself!" He placed the cold pieces in her palm and she looked up at him with her startling blue eyes.

"Thank you, Master Baggins!" She said quietly before smiling and moving back to the door.

Upon reaching the bar, she walked over to the man attending it.

She ordered a cup of tea and when she went to order a pint of sweet mead, the man behind the counter simply winked and pushed both drinks towards her.

"No charge, for the lovely Lady!" He smiled and she could only smile back at him. It was the only polite thing to do.

In all her years, she had had plenty of men try to make advances on her so she wasn't the least bit surprised by his actions.

She picked up the tea and mead and headed back towards the stairway when a surprisingly loud round of cheers broke out from the Company of dwarves. If Ren hadn't spent so much time in pubs before, she would have surely spilt the drinks out of fear but instead, she carried on.

"Lass!" She hesitated and looked over at the table where they were seated. Balin was beckoning for her to join them and she bit her lip slightly. Bilbo's tea would have to wait.

"Yes, Master Balin?"

"You've been working too hard lately! Sit back and enjoy the comforts of the inn while we are here! We won't stumble across many others on our journey, I'm afraid!" He said before taking a sip of whatever he had in his own mug. She thought this over for a moment before she sighed. It was good to relax every once in awhile.

"Very well." She said quietly and most of the dwarves cheered in triumph at getting her to join their large party. The other patrons in the inn simply narrowed their eyes at the rowdy dwarves before going back to their drinks. The inn had actually filled up more as the day had grown later and night was near. "I must take Bilbo his tea first!" She rememberEd the warm cup in her palm.

"I believe that won't be necessary, old friend!" Gandalf took the cup of tea from her hands before she could protest. She sighed through her nose before just letting the wizard be but she called him back to return Bilbo's money.

Next thing she knew, Ren was seated between Bofur and Kili. All the dwarves were drinking merrily and she couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Many of them had had multiple drinks but Ren was still nursing her first pint of sweet mead. She'd only taken a few sips of it but as the night progressed, she reached the halfway point before she felt her desire to drink lessen greatly.

However, Fili and Kili had started to sing a drinking song and the other dwarves easily joined in. Ren just sat quietly between the rowdy men, her eyes looking anywhere but down into her drink. She also couldn't help the feel of an icy gaze on her throughout most of the night.

Glancing up, she happened to catch his gaze on her. Thorin was simply watching her, his eyes intent on her figure.

He had been doing it all night and she had just about had enough of it. She was tired of feeling his gaze upon her. It made her uncomfortable.

He watched with amazement as she picked up her nearly full container of mead before she tilted her head back and drained it completely.

Standing up from her place between Bofur and Kili, they didn't even notice her leave as she stood and began to make her way to the staircase.

However, just as she was at the foot of the stairs, the boy who Thorin recognized as the gate boy, drunkenly staggered over to her with a pint of his own drink still in hand.

The two converse quietly for a moment but Thorin couldn't hear what they had to say due to the loud Company at his side.

However, he was a bit shocked to see the man step forward and plant his lips upon her cheek and then her neck.

Ren, of course, protested and pushed the man away, only for him to step back and persist in his ministrations as he grabbed hold of here again. He could make out that she kept telling the man 'no' but he kept persisting.

Thorin could only watch for so much longer before he felt a suddenly need to protect her take over.

Standing up from the table, his chair fell backwards and clattered back to the ground. He quickly approached the two taller beings before he wrapped his large hand around the man's bicep and pulled him back so that his lips were not in contact with any part of her skin.

"Don't you have a gate that needs watching, boy?" He warned the drunken man who was simply staring at the dwarf with disbelief.

"And why do you even care, good sir? She isn't even part of your little dwarven Company!" He said right back despite his drunken stupor. Thorin just growled in anger.

Reaching out, he took hold of Ren's wrist and pulled her behind him so that he palaces himself between the drunk and the female.

"She is part of our Company and I will not have a simpleton like you trying to make advances on her!" The dwarf lord growled, his hand still tightly gripping her wrist. The drunken man looked like he was about to take a swing at the dark haired dwarf but the inn had gotten very quiet all of a sudden.

There was the sudden scrapping of chairs on the wooden floor before Kili and Fili joined their uncle and stood beside him. The rest of the Company soon followed until they were all standing around their leader, all angry looks on their faces as they stood protectively around Ren. The gate man swallowed nervously.

"As I said before, don't you have a gate to be tending to?" Thorin asked after it had gone silent once more. The man simply swallowed before he drank the rest of what reamained in his mug before setting it on the counter and leaving out the front door with a few choice words thrown over his shoulder the band of dwarves.

The others in the pub were also silent before Thorin turned to his companions. "I think that it's time for bed..." He said quietly and the dwarves all nodded before returning to their drinks, finishing them, cleaning up any mess they made, and heading up the stairs to their room.

Thorin was the last dwarf up the stairs and as he was about to ascend them, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning to look who was behind him, his eyebrows rose in surprise. He had almost forgotten that the Lady was still with him. He saw her bright eyes flicker downward for a moment and he then realized that he still had a hold of her. His hand was no longer on her wrist and had instead moved down to hold her own in his.

"You need to be more careful." He told her quietly as he looked back at the large fire in the fireplace.

"I will." She said just as quietly.

Quickly releasing her hand, he took a small step back upon realizing what he had done and bowed his head.

"But thank you for stopping him..." She said quietly and his eyes flashed up to him. The dwarf lord only nodded humbly before he moved to the stairs, her hand falling away from his shoulder.

When she had summoned up enough courage to go up to the rooms, Ren found her room consisted of her, Gandalf, Bilbo, the young girl, and surprisingly enough, Thorin Oakenshield himself.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked once she closed the door behind her. The thoughts of what had just occurred still played in her mind.

"We are short one bed." The dwarf replied as he stood beside their small fireplace. And as Ren went through and counted, she realized that she had in fact only reserved sixteen beds yet they had seventeen people including the girl. She frowned.

"That is a problem." She ran a thanks down her face as she wondered what to do. Then, an idea struck her. "A problem I will fix. Stay here."

With interest, the other four inhabitants of the room watched as she approached the door. Hearing the final door at the end of the hall close, she watched through the crack in the door as a man walked by with his things in hand. He was leaving, she hoped.

Once he was gone, she opened the door more fully before peaking her head outside to check for any other witnesses. Finding the hall to be empty, she then snuck out and made her way down to the door at the end of the hall.

Both Thorin and Bilbo watched in fascination as she gently pushed the door open before stepping inside.

"What is she doing?" The dwarf breathed to himself but the hobbit still heard it.

"I think she's going to steal you a bed..." And that was exactly what she did.

When she emerged at the end if the hall, she pulled with her the mattress of the man staying in the room.

Her boots made little noise as she pulled it down the long hallway before she approached their room. It came with the sheets and everything which surprised the dwarf lord.

"Move!" She commanded in a hushed tone and the two of them complied. After a small struggle in trying to fit the mattress through the door, she let out a breathy laugh as she plunked down into the large bag of feathers.

"How's that for burlaring?" She laughed before lying back on the mattress. Gandalf could only laugh at her before shaking his head as he smoked his pipe. "You've gotten quite a nice bed here, Master Oakenshirld!" She said as she stood up. "I hope you have a restful sleep knowing you're sleeping on a stolen bed!" She beamed before going to her own bed and preparing to sleep.

Thorin could only shake his head at her. She had just stolen a bed for him. Maybe Bilbo wasn't the only burglar of the group after all.

* * *

**Read and review! Hey, sorry guys! This last week has been so fun but also completely crazy! Homecoming is over now so I will go back to regular posting! **

**On second thought, maybe not. I've got two games this week which means I'm very busy... Again. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Keep reviewing and thanks again! **

**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. Still, who is this mystery girl? **


	7. Chapter 7

Early the next morning, Ren stepped from the confines of the room that she had shared with Gandalf, Bilbo, the young girl, and Thorin. She let out a noise of contentment as she arched her back in an attempt to wake her muscles. And it was all thanks to the fact that she had a wonderful night's sleep.

Much to her surprise, the kingly dwarf did not snore in the slightest. Of course, she hadn't really noticed until now when she was in close confines with the dwarf. At first, she believed that all dwarves snored, considering the entire Company did. Well, save Thorin. Which was rather odd. She was sure that he would have been a dwarf that would certainly snore.

Sliding the strap of her satchel across her chest, she walked out into the crisp morning air, a large grin on her face as she also thought about what had occurred in the night.

It would seem that the man whose bed she had stolen had come searching for his lost mattress. He came barging into their room upon finding his empty bed frame, his eyes ablaze with anger. At first, he had come stomping down the hall, pounding on the doors of the other part of the Company.

This of course caused Ren to stare up at the ceiling with her hands intertwined across her stomach. She listened as quiet voices would answer the man's grumbling call in the dead of night. And finally he pounded on their own door.

The rest of the members of the group were still asleep when he came knocking, or rather, kicking into their room.

A loud ruckus had caused Thorin to stir in his deep sleep and when he opened his eyes, all he saw was the shadows flickering on the tan walls of the room. He then heard the grunting and cursing before he became aware of the fact that someone was in their room. His half asleep mind began to race upon the thought that the gate boy may have come back to find the female.

He also risked a glance over and found that Ren's bed beside him was empty of its inhabitant and he began to panic when he heard the noises of struggle.

However, he didn't need to worry for long when the man who was robbed of his bed landed at his feet with a loud grunt and a curse. A hand forced his face down into the hard wooden flooring and the dwarf's eyes were wide as he watched as Ren gritted her teeth as she kept the man contained as she straddled his back, successfully pinning him to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Thorin asked as he continued to watch wide eyed. She was attacking an innocent civilian who was simply trying to get _his_ own bed back. "He's an innocent man!"

"Nope." She grunted as she shifted her hold on him as she forced his face deeper into the wooden floor boards, her hand tangled into his dark and greasy hair. "He's a criminal."

"What?"

"I saw his face on some wanted posters while Bilbo and I were in the market area. He's a thief and a highwayman. His head is worth a fair amount of gold if we turn him in." Thorin's eyes shifted to the rough looking man beneath the woman. One of his arms was held behind his back and every time she forced it higher, he whimpered in pain. Yet he continued to look at Thorin as if ever word that came from her mouth was a lie.

"Is this the truth?" The dwarf barked as he sat up in bed, the covers on his bed falling down in the process.

"It-It is true! I saw the posters as well!" Bilbo squeaked as he adjusted the comforter on his bed in the corner. Thorin turned to look at the hobbit who slowly nodded his head as if his words weren't enough to prove that Ren was telling the truth.

His eyes then turned to the wizard who had a knowing look in his eyes. And that was enough for Thorin.

So after they had turned the highwayman into the sheriff of Bree, the bag of gold jangled loudly on her hip as it swayed to and fro as she strutted through the quiet town.

With a content smile on her face, she entered the stables and began preparing their horses and ponies for the journey ahead.

It was not long before the rest of the dwarves had entered the stables, most of them silent due to the fact that they had head aches from the copious amounts of wine they had drank the night before. Their bellies were also full due to the breakfast that had come, complimentary of the Prancing Pony due to the fact that they had helped to catch a man who had killed many innocent people.

Ren could only smile slightly at the silence, not entirely protesting the idea of a silent Company of dwarves. The blonde girl eventually joined the party with her arm linked through Kili's.

Despite being extremely tired and cranky, he still managed to smile tiredly for her which caused a warm glow to fill Ren's stomach. In return, little Brēosa beamed back at him as they arrived before her large speckled stallion.

Taking Chief's reins into her hands after she had finished saddling him, she pulled the large black horse from the stable. Thorin soon trotted passed her on Bungo, sparing her a small glance before facing back forwards and heading out the front gates of Bree.

Walking beside little Brēosa, the two chatted quietly until they also stepped out of the front gates, leaving humanity behind them.

They group waited until all thirteen dwarves, two females, and one wizard and a hobbit had assembled outside the gates of Bree. Leaving Chief to nibble on the lush grass below his hooves, Ren approached the young girl who sat upon the back of her horse.

Her hair was still braided back into the thick weave that the older woman had put it in. She also was wearing the new set of clothes Ren had provided for her. Her long sword was strapped to her side and her speckled horse snorted upon seeing the familiar figure coming towards him.

Reaching out her hand, her fingertips gently brushed against his soft muzzle and he inhaled her scent. She ran her hand along the length of his face before looking up and beaming over at the girl.

Turning from the horse, she extended her arms towards her and the girl happily slid from the saddle. The two women held each other for a moment, a bond having formed between them in the few days that they traveled together.

Ren knew what was to come for the female in the future and all she could do was wish her all the luck in the world. For, at some time in her life, Ren was in the same predicament. And plenty of people had helped her. So maybe she was simply paying back all the people who had been kind to her throughout her life.

Thorin watched as the two women conversed from afar as he made a final adjustment to his saddle. The two talked quietly for another moment before Ren stroked the nose of the odd girl's horse again. The two of them embraced again before Ren tugged on the thick braid, a fond smile on her face.

She then moved back to the horse and pulled his head down before murmuring some soft words into his ear before patting his thick neck and moving away. Adjusting her cloak around her shoulders, she strode back to her own black beast before mounting, casting the girl a few glances over her shoulder as she went.

As she moved towards Chief, Ren nudged Kili in his shoulder.

"Go get her." She murmured before patting him on the back. His cheeks turned a bright red before he smiled widely. Handing the reins of his pony to his blonde brother, the dark haired dwarf stepped forward and on his way, a bright purple flower caught his attention.

Carefully taking the delicate thing into his fingers, he smiled down at the delicate bud before looking up and making his way towards the blonde girl.

Ren watched from afar, a soft smile on her face. All though she wished to eavesdrop on their conversation, she decided to give them some sort of privacy. However, that didn't stop her from watching the events unfold.

The shorter being smiled shyly as he handed her the flower. The girl's face lit up with joy as she accepted the beautiful token. Quickly raising it to her nose, she inhaled deeply before Kili took it back and tucked it behind her ear and into the crease of her braid before he too fondly tugged on the golden weave.

Then the next actions caused Ren's eyes to widen yet she smiled brightly.

Kili had simply been explaining to her how beautiful she was and how he would miss her on the rest of their quest when she did something completely unexpected. She grabbed ahold the collar of his coat and pulled him forward to plant a firm kiss upon his dwarven lips.

The kiss only lasted a moment before she pulled her lips from his. The girl's cheeks burned brightly yet she giggled before mounting her speckled horse. Kili just stood rigidly for a moment, unblinking as if his brain could not conceive the fact that she had actually kissed him. Fili let out a loud whoop of joy but when Ren's beaming face turned to look at Thorin, she found that he was not so pleased. Still, Ren could not keep the smile from her face so she hid her smiling face in the thick black mane of her valiant steed.

In a love-struck daze, Kili turned from the Rohirric girl and stumbled to his own pony. His brother had to help him into the saddle and Ren could only giggle quietly again at seeing how in shock as he was. Gandalf and Bilbo also chuckled themselves. Ren pulled herself into her own saddle before adjusting her sitting position and looking back to the girl.

"Farewell, Brēosa. Take this. I don't need it..." She untied the bag of gold before tossing it to the girl who easily caught it. She sent a questioning look to Ren. "And remember what I told you!"

"_Love comes to those who have the patience to wait for it!_" Ren beamed at the girl, the dwarves all exchanging a look due to the fact that none of them could understand the Rohirric words. The woman beamed again.

"Never forget those words, little one..." She whispered to herself.

"Move out!" Thorin barked from the head of the group, wanting to be rid of the stray female.

The ponies all fell into step behind one another until Lady Ren was the only one who remained. Looking back at the blonde girl, she smiled and winked before facing forward and allowing Chief to fall into step behind Bofur who was mounted on his auburn pony, Whiskey.

For in the days to come, Ren would come to miss the young maiden greatly.

* * *

Later that very night, after the Company had made camp and settled down for supper, Thorin took note that the once again lone woman had not taken her share of food yet again from the boiling pot.

Sighing to himself, he slowly rose from his place and picked up an empty bowl from the ground before dipping it into the soup. Quietly approaching the quiet woman, she was facing the fire but her eyes were cast down upon the bow in her hands, her bare fingertips running over the metal attached to the wood, the raised ridges rubbing against her skin.

However, when a pair of boots entered her range of vision, she had to raise her eyes, a questioning look in her blue depths. He simply held out the bowl of food before her irises shifted to his hands before moving back to his face. Releasing the bow, she reached out with careful hands before Thorin placed the bowl in her open palms as he had in the past few days.

She only nodded in thanks before Thorin returned the gesture, inclining his head slightly before he turned to move back to his own seat which consisted of a couple of boulders. One for him to sit on and the other to rest his back upon.

Ren began to dig into the wonderful soup again, their stock freshly supplied so the flavor of the broth was abundant and delicious. The rest of the dwarves had quieted down and settled in for the night after receiving their own portions of the lovely stew.

It wasn't long before the members of the Company began to nod off. Bombur had already fallen asleep, and much to her amusement, he was inhaling a group of little moths that were floating above his head.

Bilbo had also tried to find sleep but he was having a terrible time. The hobbit was wishing that they could have stayed in Bree for another night. The beds in the Prancing Pony were wonderful. The ground he was currently laying on was not.

It may have also been the fact that Bombur's snoring was rather annoying as well.

The hobbit stretched his small arms above his head after standing up from the hard ground. The girl raised her head from the bowl of soup and she watched with interest as the hobbit waddled over to the herd of ponies and horses, the animals quietly munching on what little grass they could find on the stony ground. In the midst of the four legged creatures, Bilbo found little Myrtle and fed her an apple, telling her to keep it a secret as to not make the other ponies jealous.

She couldn't help the small smile pull across her face as she chewed, a bit of stew falling out of her mouth and into her lap. Gandalf watched the entire exchange with a smug smirk on his lips. This journey was already so good for Ren. Her mood had improved greatly ever since they had left the Shire.

Some may find that odd. Others may not, considering how dark some of her days had been in the past.

The cry of a distressed animal suddenly caught Bilbo off guard, scaring him into silence and making everyone in camp who was awake look up from what they were doing.

"What was that?" Bilbo squeaked, pointing in the direction of the noise. His eyes flickered to the two younger dwarves keeping watch before they flitted to Ren who didn't seem alarmed in the slightest as she ate the last of her stew.

From what she could tell, the noise was clear on the other side of the valley and not even relatively close to their position.

"Orcs." Kili said, trying to scare little Bilbo.

"Orcs?!" Bilbo squawked as he nearly sprinted back to camp, Ren nearly laughing when the thought of a chicken running across a barnyard crossed her mind. This caused Thorin to jolt awake upon hearing the familiar word.

"Throat-cutters." Fili added, matter of factually. "They'll be dozens of them out there. Low lands are crawling with them!"

"They strike in the wee small hours of the night when everyone is asleep. Quick and quiet. No screams. Just lots of blood." Kili continued where his brother left off.

Bilbo looked utterly horrified as he looked back at the landscape behind him. Both brothers exchanged a look before chuckling quietly.

Ren only closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, her lips turning up just at the corners of her mouth. They certainly knew how to worry the little hobbit to death.

"You think that's funny?" Both brothers grew quiet upon hearing their Uncle's deep voice in the quiet night. Ren also sobered, though she was hardly smiling in the first place. "You think a night raid by orcs is a _joke_?"

"We didn't mean anything by it..." Kili said quietly, his eyes lowering in shame.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world!" Thorin snapped as he walked passed his nephews to stand on the edge of their camp, looking out across the dark valley. The moon shone brightly above them, allowing the Company more light than usual and it cast odd shadows on Thorin's strong features.

"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin assured the two younger dwarves. Ren's eyes followed him as he walked across the camp. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs..." Both Fili and Ren looked back at where Thorin was standing among the ponies, his hands clasped behind his back in thought.

And Balin began to tell the reason why exactly Thorin hated orcs.

"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the Ancient Dwarf Kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs led by the most vile of all their race, Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began... by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief and went missing, taken prisoner or killed... We did not know. We were leaderless. _Defeated_. And death was upon us. That is when I saw him..." Balin began to grin with pride as he thought about that very day.

The day Thorin became a man.

"A young Dwarf Prince facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against the terrible foe. His armor was bent. Wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily be broken!"

Thorin stood, listening to Balin's retelling of the battle of Azanulbizar.

He could remember that day so easily, so clearly. Just like it had been yesterday.

He remembered the stench of death in the air. Hundreds of lifeless dwarves and orcs lined the ground. He remembered the horror he felt cross through his heart as his grandfather's head tumbled to the ground before coming to rest at his feet. He remembered the satisfaction of cutting the pale orc's hand off. He remembered the renewed strength he felt as he stood before his rallied troops.

"Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated!" Balin went onto explain and Ren adverted her eyes away from the elder dwarf and to the brooding dwarf standing on the outskirts of the camp.

The battle still continued to play through Thorin's mind. He remembered that his limbs ached so badly but his need for blood and revenge fueled him forward. But then he remembered something that had slipped his mind so long ago.

_The dwarf prince let out a monstrous battle cry as he brought down his sword down into the guts of one of the millions of disgusting orcs. Hearing another foul creature shrieking behind him, he turned around to kill the ugly beast. _

_He stopped, however, when the head of a glimmering arrow protruded from the orc's black mouth. The creature then collapsed to the ground, dead. _

_For a moment, the battle around the dwarf prince slowed and his blue eyes rose from the body of the dead orc to the figure in the distance. The gold was the only color for miles to be seen and his eyes snapped to it as if they were magnetized. _

_He watched in awe as the figure moved so smoothly, using the bow that was used to shoot the arrow as a weapon to ward off any orcs nearby that threatened to get to close. _

_Also forcing one of the foul creatures to the ground, the figure drew out a long dagger off their back and plunged it into the creature's chest without skipping a beat. _

_Withdrawing the sharp blade, they turned to look at the surrounding orcs, shouting what he assumed was curses or rather taunts at the orcs around them in elvish. _

_But the noise around him soon dulled to a quiet roar and then he watched as a bit of gold, silver, and bronze jingled together on the person's wrist, making one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. It sounded like the tinkling of a thousand silver bells that had been crafted by angels themselves. _

_His eyes slowly moved away from the bracelets to the wearer of the fine metals. _

_He wasn't sure if it was the tightly woven battle braids, armor, or the pointed ears that gave away the elf as she bravely fought on her own. But it disturbed him that she was a female fighting in the midst of battle. And then another thought occurred to him. His eyes turned and gazed out over the rest of the battlefield to find that there were no other elves present._

_She was completely on her own._

_And as if he was being watched, his eyes pulled up to gaze at the tree line in the distance where he could see the shapes of people gathered beneath the shade of the great Mallorn trees, watching the battle take place. Guarding the forests of Lothlórien, their home._

_Then with a mighty roar, he only glanced back at the elf for a moment before charging back into battle, leaving that memory to fall to the back of his mind... Until now._

"But there was no feast nor song that night... For our dead were beyond our count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then... There is one who I could follow... There is one I could call king." All the dwarves were awake by this point, listening as Balin finished his grand tale.

Thorin finally turned back to face the group, his memories flooding his mind once again. And as he glanced back at the lone woman of the group, he felt something twinge inside of him. Some form of familiarity.

"The pale orc?" Bilbo asked quietly, pulling Thorin from his thoughts about the elleth from the battle. "What happened to him?"

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago..." The dwarf lord growled as he moved back to his camp and over to his bedroll.

And as he did this, he missed how Ren's eyes shot up from the ground and immediately found Gandalf's, both pairs of eyes holding a sense of knowing in them. And one pair of eyes held a sense of silent terror.

And yet only one member of Thorin and Company knew what was yet to come for their odd group.

* * *

The next few days passed slowly but the rain was really the worst part. After the first day, Ren had given up trying to keep herself dry and instead opted to let the rain simply soak her hair.

Gandalf would glance back every few minutes to simply amuse himself. For Ren was not having the most exciting time, her face held in a scowl for the most part due to the annoyance she held against the rain as it soaked every pair of clothes she owned. She had however, removed her leather gloves and braucers, for she had learned from past experiences that leather and wet skin was not a good combination. She put the pieces of armor in her saddlebag beside her other already soaked clothes.

And finally after quiet grumbling from the rest of the dwarves, Nori spoke up, asking Gandalf if he could change the weather.

"Yes, Gandalf! A change of weather would be most wonderful!" Ren called from atop Chief, her entire being soaked and chilled to the bone. Bilbo also wasn't faring as well as he would have hoped and simply let himself become soaked as well.

"It is raining, Master dwarf! And it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard!"

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"What?"

"Other wizards?"

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White! Then there are the two blues... Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names?" Bilbo only nodded.

"And who's the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown!"

"Is he a great wizard... or is he more like you?" Gandalf was taken aback by the hobbit's question. Ren just chortled at the back of the group.

"I think he's a very great wizard... in his own way! He's a gentle soul that prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East. And a good thing, too! For always, evil will look to find a foothold in this world..." And as he finished with his explanation, Ren could only smile.

Gandalf _was_ a very great wizard. None of the others had just yet to realize it like she had. But they would come to realize it in time.

And, much to Ren's joy, it stopped raining not an hour later. The group's spirits began to lift after that, the female shedding her clothing. The other members of the Company followed suit, leaving their over clothes to hang off their horses in an attempt to dry them.

As the clouds began to drift off and leave the group behind, the sun shone down upon them, lifting their spirits. Yet, their spirits would only drop another hour or so later, considering the fact that it had been steadily raining for nearly a week which would cause the once small streams to become large and raging rivers.

Thorin looked down at the treacherous water that was lapping at the ground before his feet. He raised his eyes up from his muddy boots to look at the other piece of dry land across the abnormally large river.

Hearing a snort behind him, he risked a glance back over his shoulder to find the woman approaching with her black horse in tow. She came to stand beside him and also looked down at the muddy water, a frown marring her features. The river was unusually high and it was troubling her.

She hadn't thought of the fact that it had been raining heavily for a few days. She should have seen this coming. She should have known.

"Is there another crossing?" He rumbled in his low voice. Ren's brows furrowed in thought again and she slowly shook her head.

"This was always the shallowest part of the river in the past. There is no other crossing."

"Are you sure?"

"Ren is correct." Gandalf said as he rode up on his brown horse before he looked down upon the two as they conversed about their current predicament. "This is the shallowest part of the river and you will not be able to pass through at any other place. And I most certainly am sure that the current beneath the surface is remarkably strong! We must be very careful..." The wizard said as he urged his horse forward. "I will go first!"

The Company quietly sat upon their steeds, all of them shifting nervously for the fear of being swept away crossed their minds. Gandalf turned back to look at the Company. His eyes easily found Bilbo perched upon little Myrtle. The wizard knew that she would need help crossing the deep, muddy water.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, I believe that you will need to ride along with me for your own safety!" He called out to the hobbit.

"Y-You want me to ride along?" Bilbo squeaked as his hands tightly clutched the reins of his tiny pony. Gandalf only bobbed his head and the hobbit reluctantly came to stand beside the wizard's large brown horse. Without a word, Bilbo held his reins out to the wizard who fastened them around the horn of his saddle. Then, with a swift kick to Blaze's ribs, the horse took a few steps down off the bank. Together, the two creatures ventured through the murky depths and side stepped a few times. Myrtle stumbled at one point and the entire group held their breath as Blaze easily kept the pony in place. Gandalf could only hold tightly to the horn of his saddle and rely on the horse beneath him to get them to safety on the other side of the swelled stream.

Emerging onto the other bank, Blaze snorted as she shook out her mane, the lower half of her body dirty from the muddy water. Myrtle also fared the same except the water mark on her was higher due to the fact that the brown horse had longer legs. Ren turned and looked to Thorin who looked back at his own Company as if deciding who would cross the river next.

After much thought Thorin decided that he himself would cross the river with Balin's pony tied to Bungo. The two made it across without any other problems and it continued on with a pattern that the larger ponies helped the smaller ones across the large stream.

And it finally remained that only three of them were left on the bank. Fili and Kili insisted that Ren go first before she was ignored from the fact that they were arguing on who would go after the Lady and her large black horse. Being the cocky thing that he was, Chief held his head high as he stepped down into the water, the current not affecting him in the slightest.

Ren frowned once again when her pants got wet, not pleased by the fact that they had only just dried. During the ride, she glanced back to find that Fili was next in line behind her and Kili was bringing up the rear of the group, both their ponies strong enough to make it across the river on their own.

However, as her horse's large hooves stepped up onto the muddy bank, she heard a cry of protest from behind her. Chief also did not enjoy the noise and he turned around as well to find that Kili's pony, Lady, had slipped and the dwarf had fallen into the rushing water. The young mare had bolted towards the bank, nearly knocking into Fili's pony.

"Fili!" The younger brother cried and the blonde dwarf also turned around to find his brother in danger.

"Kili!" The other dwarf lunged for his brother, only to find himself dumped off his horse and into the strong current as well. The two were soon swept away with a yelp and their two ponies soon joined the rest of the Company on the bank.

Ren knew that she only had a moment to react as she watched the two brothers float down stream. "Ya!" She dug her heels sharply into Chief's sides and the large horse lept forward and began to thunder down the grassy hill beside the wide river.

A plan began to form in her head as she spurred the horse to move faster. Keeping her sharp eyes locked on the brothers, she watched as they continued to cling to each other as they struggled to stay above the murky surface.

Racing down the winding stretch of land alongside the river, Ren turned in her saddle and shoved her hand down into her saddlebag where she knew she had a long length of rope waiting for an occurrence like this. As she bobbed up and down on her horse, she pulled the rope free and tied a knot before throwing it over her head and securing the loop around her waist. Weaving it around her shoulders and under her arms, she made a durable harness. Wrapping the other end of the long rope around the horn of her saddle, she made a cattle knot before she prepared herself for her next actions.

Taking the reins into her gloved palms once more, she spurred Chief faster until she was a good distance ahead of the two bobbing brothers. She could hear the rest of the Company chasing behind her and she hoped that this plan would work. Bringing her right foot up out of the stirrup, she straightened her left leg out. Releasing the reins, she simply let the horse gallop as she clutched tightly to the saddle horn.

Coming to a bend in the river, she tensed her muscles and prepared herself. As soon as she caught sight of the brothers, she pushed off the saddle and launched herself through the air. Plummeting down into the murky water, she closed her eyes tightly as the chilled water engulfed her. As her body resurfaced, she took in a deep breath before she reached a hand up and wiped her eyes free of the muddy water.

"REN!" She turned her head in the direction of the voices and she treaded the water in hopes of catching the dwarves.

"Swim towards me!" She shouted over the roar of the thick liquid as it pushed her down stream. The two paddled towards her furiously before she extended her arms and they latched onto her. Now as a single mass, they continued to drift down the wide river until the Ren heard a whinny from behind her.

"WHOA!" She shouted up at the black horse who came to a sudden stop upon hearing his rider's command. The rope tied between the horse and female suddenly went taught and it snapped Ren's torso back towards him. Both dwarves protested with a yell and she could only hold tightly to their shorter bodies as the strong water pushed against her.

"HELP!" Kili cried as he clutched tightly to Ren.

"HELP US!" His brother also chimed as he waved to the rest of the group. Ren could only grit her teeth in pain.

On land, the rest of the Company had caught up with the large black horse, only to find that his legs were locked as he braced himself against the ground.

"Push him back!" Thorin commanded the group as he found that Ren had joined his nephews in the water. Bofur and Bifur grasped a hold of the horse's reins and began to pull the creature back from the side of the river.

"The rest of you, _pull_!" The dwarf lord ordered as he took hold of the rope. Gloin and Dwalin braced themselves right behind their leader and began to pull them towards the shoreline. It wasn't a moment longer that the rest of the dwarves began to tug on the rope and the two dwarves in the water clung tightly to Ren. She continued to sputter as she kept them above water, only to have herself continuously bobbed into the murky depths.

With a group of dwarves towing them in, it didn't take long for them to reach shore. In an instant, multiple pairs of hands were pulling them up onto the completely dry bank, their clothes muddied and heavy from the excess water.

Ren herself sputtered as she dropped down onto the ground. Worried hands touched her shoulders and she continued to cough, seeing as how some water had gotten into her lungs. Not to mention the fact that the knot in her harness had tightened significantly.

"Out of the way!" A voice barked and the dwarves that had gathered around her moved to the side as both Gandalf and Thorin came into her line of sight.

"Ren!" The wizard knelt down at her side. "Are you alright?" She could only cough in response and hold up a hand weakly, signalling that she was in fact okay but she was unable to speak at the moment. She continued to cough and sputter so the wizard clapped her on the back before she realized something. She couldn't breathe.

She suddenly reached behind her back and pulled out one of her long knives before she forced it between her clothes and the rope. With a quick flick of her wrist the rope was cut and she coughed up a lot more water.

Now taking the first deep breath she had in what felt like a long while, she was glad that her lungs could expand once more.

Thorin looked between his muddy nephews and the female, his temper flaring due to the fact that the brothers always seemed to find trouble.

"Y-You saved us..." Fili said, still in awe that she had lept into the water to save their lives. Someone who wasn't kin. Someone who wasn't a friend. Someone who was only an acquaintance.

Ren could only wipe at her eyes as mud slipped into her blue irises. She let a small smile pull at her lips as she pushed a few wet clumps of hair from her face.

"Well, I couldn't just let you drown now could I?" She replied as she coughed once more.

"Thank you!" Kili said as he wiped mud from his own eyes. But the good feeling that had entered Ren's stomach from doing a great deed was soon extinguished.

"What you did was dangerous and rash! You could have gotten yourself killed! You should have waited to ask my perm-" Thorin was interrupted by the now slightly annoyed female.

"If I would have waited for your permission to continue with my plan your nephews would be dead. Now, aren't you at least a little glad that I did what I did? For none of you would have reached them in time and saved them like I did..." She replied coldly as she pushed herself up from the ground. Thorin didn't answer her and instead let his eyes narrow at her biting words. Ren only wiped her face with the back of her sleeve before she straightened out her soaked clothes.

Thorin could only glare at her and she sniffed before flicking her hair over her shoulder and moving to her loyal horse. Bilbo only looked on with worry at Ren before she began to untie the rope from around her saddle horn.

"Lady Ren...?" Her head snapped to the side in annoyance before she realized that it was not Thorin that was talking to her. Instead, it was their Company burglar who had stopped to see if she truly was alright. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine." She replied quietly as she patted Chief's strong neck. However, she had to stop when a handkerchief was suddenly held in her line of vision. Turning to the hobbit with questioning eyes, he looked sincere as he waved the white cloth in her face. All she could do was sniff before taking it and wiping her filthy face with it. "Thank you, Bilbo."

The hobbit just smiled before turning to leave her. She wished to be alone so he would leave her alone.

Without another word, the Company mounted their horses, all of them now sending the Lady looks of disbelief and slight wonder. They would have never thought that she would have risked her life for a dwarf like she had.

Once again, Thorin was confused by the woman's actions. And all the more, she was a mystery to him. A mystery he wished to find out about.

* * *

Thorin stopped the Company for the night rather early in Ren's opinion. However, she was not one to protest. Her clothes were disgustingly stiff with mud, as was her hair. She wished very much to change her clothes, though Thorin did not let the Company stop the rest of the day.

She frowned slightly as they came upon an old abandoned farm house and a few other ancient looking buildings.

"Camp here for tonight!" Ren sighed as she dismounted her large black horse beside Bungo, Thorin shouting from beside her. "Fili, Kili. Tend to the ponies. Make sure you stay with them!"

But Ren hardly heard his words as her sharp eyes gazed around the surroundings, an odd feeling settling in her stomach. Something just wasn't right.

She let Chief's reins fall from her hands and to the ground. Luckily, he had become tame enough in the last few weeks that he knew not to run off. Plus, he was rather distracted with the lush, green grass beneath his hooves and he was hungry due to the fact that they hadn't stopped to rest since the river.

Approaching Gandalf, she stepped into the shade of the nearly destroyed home, the odd feeling in her stomach only growing stronger.

"A farmer and his famliy used to live here."

"Oin, Gloin! Get a fire going!" Thorin barked at his Company members but his voice was lost on both the female's and wizard's ears once more.

"Gandalf, something is wrong here..." Ren muttered to the wizard who could only nod as he listened. She reached out and touched one of the beams still supporting on what was left of the roof. "It wasn't a year ago that I came by this road. This farm was thriving and the people who lived here were kind. We should leave..." She whispered, bending down to pick up an old doll left behind by one of the little girls who had once resided in the farmhouse.

"I agree." Gandalf began to back up towards the broken entrance to the house. "I think it would be wiser to move on!" Ren trailed behind him towards the door. Thorin approached the two of them, suspicion passing over his features. He had seen them talking quietly. Secrets were never a good thing. He wished to know everything that concerned his group. "We could make for the Hidden Valley!"

It was just by a chance of luck that Thorin was too busy taking in the sight of the broken home to see Ren stop in her footsteps and send the wizard a skeptical look. For even Ren knew that that was a bad question to ask after the long day they had been having.

"I've already told you, I will _not_ go near that place!" He protested, just as Ren had suspected.

"Why not? The elves could help us! We could get food, rest, advice!"

"I don't _need_ advice!" Thorin snapped.

"We have a map that we cannot read! Lord Elrond could help us..." Gandalf pointed over his shoulder and when he glanced back, Ren had already disappeared and was over by her horse, purposefully distracting herself.

Gandalf just turned back to look at Thorin, still amazed that she had moved that fast upon the mere mention of the elf lord.

"Help? The dragon attacked Erebor... What help came from the elves?" Gandalf had nothing to say to that and was silent. "Orcs plunder Moria. Desecrate our sacred holes. The elves looked on and did _nothing_! You ask me to seek out the very people that betrayed my _grandfather_, betrayed my _father!_"

"You are neither of them! I did not give you that map and key for you to hold onto that past!"

"I did not know that they were your's to keep!" Gandalf was now fuming with anger and he could only turn and stalk away from the stubborn dwarf lord. For the day had been tasking as well. First, with Ren risking her own life to save the heirs of Durin and now this.

As he walked passed Ren, he barely stopped for a moment before growling, "Don't let them do anything _stupid_!" and continuing on his way back to his horse.

"Everything alright, Gandalf? Where are you going?" Bilbo asked as he stood beside Balin, stroking the older dwarf's white pony.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense!"

"And who's that?" Bilbo asked, already assuming the answer.

"Myself, Mister Baggins!" He growled. "I've had enough of _dwarves_ for one day!"

Thorin could only watch as Gandalf stormed away, a smug smirk on his face. He most certainly would not go to the Hidden Valley, even if his light depended on it. Elves were his enemy and he would _never_ forgive them.

"Come on, Bombur. We're hungry!"

"Is he coming back?" Bilbo asked Balin. The older dwarf could only sigh through his nose before slightly shrugging his shoulders.

* * *

A couple hours later, Bombur was spooning stew into the same wooden dishes that they had been using for the past few weeks. Ren calmly sat on one of the stones in the little house, gazing into the flames below the hanging pot. Her bow hung limply in her hands.

She had cleaned her weapons of the mud that had clung to the fine leather. She also had been luckily enough to find time to change her clothes after she had wondered off into one of the old buildings for some privacy. She was somewhat happier now though her hair was still stiff with muddy residue.

Bilbo sat down beside her.

"He's been a long time..." He said, the anxiousness coming off him in waves. Ren only glanced to the side, feeling entirely calm, save for the fact that the pit in her stomach was nearly throbbing with the same bad feeling from before.

"He's a wizard! He comes and goes as he chooses!" Bofur said as he filled his own bowl before swatting Bombur away, telling him that he already had his fill of the hot soup. He approached Bilbo and Ren with two bowls in his hands. "Do us a favor and take these to the lads!"

Slinging her bow over her head, Ren took hold of one of the bowls. "Come on, Bilbo..." She rose from her place and walked out of the ring of light provided by the fire. The night was always growing darker and Bilbo was having problems finding his way in the dark.

When they came upon the two dwarves hidden in the trees, they were both standing in the dark, staring out into the depths of the woods. Pressing the edge of the bowl to Fili's chest, the dwarf simply ignored her as he continued to ponder his own thoughts.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo finally asked when Kili didn't take the bowl offered to him. The four of them had been standing there for some time.

"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies-"

"-Only we've encountered a slight problem..." Fili finished his brother's sentence. "We had fourteen... Now there's twelve."

Ren only felt the feeling in her stomach intensify upon those words, easily finding the tall black stallion in the trees to her right. He nickered upon seeing her and she only adjusted her hold on the bowl of soup. She was glad that he was safe.

After pondering what to do, they all made a plan and separated to go look for the ponies. After a few minutes of searching the surrounding trees and coming up with little information, they all met back up.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing!" Kili said as he came back through the trees. Ren immediately frowned when she also came back. Thorin's little stallion was missing. She was sure that this situation would not end well.

"Well, that's not good!" Bilbo said, both bowls of stew in his hands now that Ren had abandoned Fili's, only for Bilbo to pick it up so that it wouldn't be forgotten.

However Ren was silent as she squatted down before the large uprooted tree, a frown on her face. Something _big_ had to uproot this tree.

"Fili, Kili..." She finally said, drawing their attention away from the remaining ponies. They both walked over to where she was squatted, Bilbo following in their wake.

"And that is not good at all!" Bilbo pointed at the uprooted tree with a bowl of soup. Ren reached out and felt the soil on one of the roots. It was still damp meaning that it was still fresh. "Shouldn't we tell Thorin?"

"No!" Fili almost shouted, knowing that would be the worst thing. "Let's not worry him! As our official burgular, we thought you might want to look into it...?"

"Well, it looks like something big uprooted these trees!"

"Well, obviously..." Ren was now looking down at the ground, her eyes finding the rather large footprint stamped into the ground. Her fingerless gloved fingers ran over the leaves in the print, a frown still marring her normally beautiful features.

"Hey!" Fili suddenly said, pulling her attention away from the print. "There's a light!" She stood up from her crouched position and was soon over by his side, nearly pressing her face up against his to see at the same angle he was looking. There was indeed a flame flickering in the distance. "Come on!" He motioned the four of them forward and they swiftly moved through the underbrush.

"Stay down!" Kili warned Bilbo. Ren silently slunk along behind the dark haired brother and came to rest on his right, nearly scaring him out of his wits. He jumped nearly a foot in the air and she only smirked, Kili sending her a slightly scolding look.

They could now easily see the light from a second fire and guttural laughter was also easily heard in the distance.

Linking the huge footprint, the uprooted tree, the missing ponies, and that laughter, Ren could only come to one conclusion and a disgusting one at that.

Trolls.

"What is it?" Bilbo whispered.

"Trolls." Ren murmured, getting up from her place and silently moving forward to investigate, only for Kili to grab her quiver and yank her back to their hiding place. The girl unceremoniously landed on her back, her eyes shutting as she hit the ground. She was still sore form the fact that her body had been used as a hook to pull the young dwarves to shore.

When her eyes opened, Kili thought that he may have made a mistake because, at that moment, her blue eyes seemed to glow with anger and he wouldn't doubt that she could breathe fire if she really tried. Smaug didn't seem so scary compared to her.

"Sorry!" He only whispered before another round of laughter broke out through the dark. The woman only sent him a dark warning look before turning and easily leaping over the log they had been hiding behind, the brothers following behind her.

To climb over the log, Bilbo had to set down the two bowls of stew and was about to chase after the other three when he remembered the bowls, returning to pick them up off the log.

As Bilbo turned, he realized that he lost sight of his friends and just began to run blindly through the darkness. His own footsteps were too loud for him to hear the other set until he was yanked back and slammed into a tree, knocking the air from his lungs. He looked directly up into the blue of Ren's eyes as she put a hand over his mouth to silence him.

Not a moment later, a huge troll walked by, another two ponies in his hands. Ren turned to watch the ugly creature walk away from them, her hand leaving Bilbo's mouth.

"They've got Myrtle and Minty!" He exclaimed and the Lady just looked back at him. "I think they're going to eat them! We've got to do something!"

"Yes!" Kili moved around Ren and pushed Bilbo forward, sending an innocent smile at Ren as he walked passed. She was not amused in the slightest. "You should! Mountain trolls are slow and stupid and you're so small they'll never see you!"

"N-No!" Bilbo tried to protest and Ren also frowned, knowing that this would not end well. Most likely.

"We'll be right behind you!" Fili added, taking his bowl from Bilbo. "If you run into trouble hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl!" He shoved Bilbo forward and the hobbit could only continue forward, repeating the phrase to himself so he wouldn't forget. But as he walked through the dark trees, he thought of something.

What was the difference between a _barn_ owl and a _brown_ owl?

He looked back to see that all three of them had disappeared, much to his disappointment. He had at least through Ren would have stayed and waited for him.

Watching as the troll continued off in the opposite direction, Bilbo summoned all the courage his small body contained and followed behind the ugly beast, hoping that he could somehow save the ponies.

Ren only grumbled under her breath as both dwarves had taken one of her hands and were blazing through the familiar forest on the trail they had made. She rolled her eyes at their antics, knowing that of course they would have pulled something like this.

"You know he's going to die, right?" She asked the two brothers as they burst through the treeline, stopping just on the outskirts of the camp.

"Not if we hurry!" Fili said as he pulled her the rest of the way into camp. The entire Company turned and watched as they approached with concern in their eyes. Both brothers were heavily panting when they reached the fire. Ren simply stood between them, her arms folded across her chest.

This most certainly would be a long night.

* * *

**Here's another chapter! You know what to do! Read and review!**

**So, this week was still uber busy so I'm sorry for the late update. I really am. I feel like a horrible person. I seriously had like three games this week plus homework. **

**I made this chapter extra long because I felt bad. **

**Thanks to all who reviewed and favorited! **

**Oh, and by the way, only two people got the question about the girl right so I now give you your honorary virtual cookie! Y' all know who you are but I won't say names because I don't want people to cheat!**

**Anyway, thanks again!**

**Love,**

**Blue**

**Read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Upon seeing his nephews and the female emerge sprinting from the treeline, Thorin looked up from his dinner. However, he noticed that someone was missing. There should have been four. "What's wrong? Where's the burglar?" Thorin asked, setting his bowl down as he stood.

"W-Well, you see Uncle Thorin..." Kili began nervously, wringing his hands together.

"We had a little... _trouble_ with the ponies..." Ren rolled her eyes again, knowing that Bilbo was most certainly already dead, squished by the trolls. If the two brothers stalled anymore, there would certainly be no hope for little Bilbo.

"Mountain trolls stole four of our ponies and your nephews sent little Bilbo into the camp after them. Now, I would please like to get moving in hopes that we save your hobbit, yes?" She raised an eyebrow and it was only a moment before the dwarves were out of their seats. Their bowls all fell to the ground as they lunged for their weapons, battle cries rippling across the camp.

Thorin approached her, his eyes dark from anger. He was still a bit angry with what she had said to him earlier that day. She questioned his leadership and on more than one occasion, took control of his group.

"Lead the way." He ordered and she nodded before pulling the bow off her back before taking an arrow from the quiver. Moving quietly through the darkness, she skillfully led them along the path they had taken before, her eyes easily finding their most recent footsteps in the low light.

Of course, Thorin was a bit amazed at how easily she moved across the ground, her boots hardly making any sound as she raced through the trees.

Moving towards the firelight in the distance, they came upon the camp and hid in the bushes just outside the camp. They arrived just in time to see Bilbo swept off the ground in front of them, his leg clutched tightly in the grubby troll fingers.

The troll holding him asked if there were any more of them around and much to her relief, Bilbo said no. At least he was loyal to their cause.

"He's lying!" One of the other three claimed.

"No, I'm not!"

"Hold his toes over the fire!" The same one commanded. "Make him squeal!" And before Ren could grab the back of his black waistcoat, Kili had let out a battle cry and sliced at the back of the nearest troll's leg. He let out a squeal of pain before collapsing to the ground, clutching his wounded shin.

"Drop him!" Kili commanded and Ren readied her bow, her fingers tightening around the nock.

"You what?"

"I said _drop_ him!" Kili twirled his blade around as he awaited their next actions. The troll only growled before launching Bilbo through the air, only for him to land on top of the dark haired dwarf. But as he landed, Thorin burst passed her and out into the ring of firelight.

Ren was right behind him, as were the other dwarves. Taking only a step out into the light, the dwarves swarmed around her as she took aim. Firing her bow, she hit one of the trolls in the throat but his thick skin luckily saved him as he pulled the small projectile from her desired target. She frowned in defeat.

Sighing through her nose, she shouldered her bow before reaching back and drawing the dual fighting knives from her back, deciding it would be the best route to take. Charging into battle, she almost couldn't help but smile, the excitement of a fight being the most fun she'd had in days.

And so the battle for the hobbit began.

Diving into the mass chaos around her, she cut, slashed, and stabbed at the trolls expertly, all the while avoiding their large, grubby hands. As the dwarves continued to fight on, it was a bit of a surprise to Ren when she watched as they were kicked around, only for them to get right back up and begin fighting again.

Dwarves were sturdy folk. And it seemed as through they were winning this battle.

Hearing a loud whinny from across the camp, Ren turned in the direction the noise came from and she smiled momentarily in Bilbo's direction as he was able to free the ponies. However, the smile quickly fell upon seeing one of the ugly trolls reaching for the hobbit.

"Bilbo!" She called out but it was to late. Quickly joining ranks back with the dwarves, she replaced her blades and drew out her bow and an arrow, taking aim at one of the troll's eyes.

"Lay down your arms or we'll rip his off!" One of the trolls commanded as two of them held poor Bilbo buy his appendages, a terrified look on his face.

All of them breathing heavily, Thorin finally gave in with a low growl, shoving his sword down into the dirt. All the other dwarves looked at their leader with shock before following his actions yet Ren stood still with her bow. Thorin looked over at her, his brow furrowing in anger.

"Put the bow down..." He said quietly at first, his tone holding a warning. She didn't even acknowledge that he had said anything. "I said, _put the bow down_!" He snapped and her eyes flickered over to him for a moment before she slowly let her arm go slack, her blazing eyes never leaving his as she did so. Placing the arrow back into her quiver, she pulled the leather strap from its buckle and lay her belongings down beside a boulder in hopes they wouldn't be crushed should the trolls get rough.

But Ren was furious. She wasn't one to quit. She wasn't one to surrender. For her, it was either win or die trying. There was no gray area.

Not a few minutes later, the trolls commanded them to remove most of their layers of clothing. Ren only glowered at Thorin the entire time as she loosened her jerkin before tossing it beside her other things. She also took off her tunic to leave her in a another black sleeveless tunic and her dark breeches. Thorin only glanced at her bare shoulders for a moment before he removed his own shirt that left him in his tan undershirt. He himself did not appreciate the fact that they were going to be eaten, all because of the fact that their burglar had been caught. Some burglar he was.

The trolls began to stuff them into sacks, tying them tightly so they couldn't escape. And yet, the trolls made an exception for Ren.

"This one's for dessert!" One of the trolls, Bert, rumbled as he also shoved her into a bag, rather roughly too. She cried out in protest yet she could not do anything about it. They were too strong.

He tossed her onto the pile of dwarves and she landed with a heavy thud and an _oomf!_, coming to rest on top of Fili. Thorin was just below her feet and Kili lay to her left.

She also considered herself lucky that she was dessert upon seeing the trolls set up a spit roaster over the fire, tying most of the dwarves to it.

"Don't bother cooking them! Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly!" One of the other trolls said and the Company couldn't help but squirm at that suggestion.

"They should be sauteed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage!"

"Oh! That does sound quite nice!"

"Never mind the seasoning, we ain't go all night! Dawn ain't far away! Let's get a move on! I don't fancy being turned to stone!" One of them said and this caused both Bilbo and Ren to stop struggling in their individual battles with their sacks.

And then Bilbo knew what he must do.

"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake!" He called, struggling to get upright in his bag.

"You can't reason with them! They're half wits!" Nori called from the spit and Ren frowned. Shifting to a more comfortable position, she felt something cold press against her ankle inside the boot on her foot and she remembered.

Her little knife.

"Half wits? Then what does that make us?" Bofur asked as they continued to turn the spit over the fire.

Thorin watched as Bilbo hopped over to the trolls. "I-I meant with the seasoning!"

"What about the seasoning?" One troll asked him.

"Well, have you smelt them?" He asked and as he said this, the troll bent down to smell the rather stinky dwarves. "You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up!"

"TRAITOR!" The dwarves all yelled in unison.

Thorin was one of the more silent ones and he felt something kick the back of his head. Turning to look at the source of the pain, he found that it was Ren and she was squirming around profusely, causing his nephew to send her just as odd looks. Ren and Thorin's eyes connected for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking her why she insisted on wriggling around so much.

"I'm getting us out of this mess..." She said quietly as she continued to reach for the knife in her boot. With a hiss of exertion, she felt her finger touch against the tip of the hilt.

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" Another troll asked.

"Shut up!" The one from before snapped. "Let the flurburgur-hobbit talk!" Bilbo smiled kindly up at that troll, glad he had one of them that was willing to listen to what he had to say, even if it was pure rubbish.

"Uh... The secret to cooking dwarf is um..." In his mind, he contemplated what he should say, knowing a number of things would only anger the Company further.

"Yes, yes! Come on, tell us the secret!" The troll from before, William, asked.

"Y-Yes! I'm _telling_ you!" Bilbo was getting agitated as they wouldn't let him speak again. "The secret is... to _skin_ them first!"

This earned the hobbit another loud cry of protest from the pile of dwarves and Ren ignored them as she continued to reach for her knife. She had to hurry but Bilbo was doing a grand job at stalling them.

"Tom, get me filleting knife!" William commanded.

"What a load of wubbish! I've eating plenty of 'em with their skins on!" Bilbo happened to glance to the side and saw a figure move through the bushes around the fire. Someone was going to help them.

Just then, Ren got a second finger on the hilt of the blade, her back arched painfully as she reached for it. Deciding to take a needed break, she also saw the figure move through the trees and she realized it must be getting close to dawn. Bilbo just needed to continue.

"He's right! There's nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf!" Tom picked up Bombur from the pile, holding the dwarf's head above his open mouth. Ren began to panic and arched her back again. Bombur was going to be _eaten_! "Nice and crunchy!"

"N-Not that one, he's infected!" Bilbo called out and Ren let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"You what?" Bert asked.

"He's got _worms_... in his _tubes_!" With disgust, Tom dropped the dwarf back onto the pile, the plump being landing right on top of Ren. She cried out in pain but despite the pain and the now awkward angle her back was stretched in, she grasped the knife and pulled it from free its hidden sheath. "In fact they all have it. They're infested with parasites. It's a terrible business I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't..."

"Did he say parasites?" Oin asked.

"We don't have _parasites_!" Kili called and Ren stuck the blade through the side of the thick sack and began to saw, knowing she wouldn't have much time. "You have parasites!"

Growling upon the fact that the Company was full of a bunch of imbeciles, Ren stopped sawing and reeled her feet back before she soundly kicked Thorin in the back of the head again. He let out a grunt of pain before he turned back to look at her and she gave him an incredulous look. This was when he finally got the message.

Also delivering a kick to the back of his younger nephew's head, Thorin silenced them for a moment before they also received the message.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm!" Oin now called.

"Mine are the biggest parasites! I've got huge parasites!" Kili also called, really wanting to save their skin.

The dwarves continued to play along with Bilbo's lie until Bert reached over into the pile again. Pushing Bombur off her, Bert wrapped his large hand around Ren before picking her up off the ground.

She let out a small squeak of fear and hoped that they wouldn't see the rather large hole cut in the side of the bag. She kept her knife pressed close to her body in hopes that the blade wouldn't cut her. But she was rather grateful that he held her upright.

"What 'bout this one? She's too pretty to be infested with parasites and bugs..." Bert said, waving her around a bit. Ren only shut her eyes as he continued to squeeze her painfully. Bilbo began to panic inside for a moment, his eyes eventually meeting Ren's and he saw the anxious look in her bright blue eyes. She was trusting him.

"She's... got the _green plague_!" Bert looked down at the female in his grasp and she was still for a moment, her eyes fearfully meeting his. She then let out a loud groan before her head swung to the side, her tongue purposefully lolling from her mouth in an attempt to show that she was infected.

"The what?"

"It's a terrible disease! Very deadly and it really is a shame that she has it. Poor thing probably won't last the night. And you _touched_ her! Now you're going to get it!" Bilbo continued and he watched as a look of horror crossed Bert's face before he also threw her back onto the pile.

She sailed through the air before landing face down on _someone_. All she knew that her landing was cushioned by someone, she just didn't know who. She groaned and lifted her head, only to find herself nose to nose with the one person she was least happy to see at the moment. Master Oakenshield himself. She felt her mouth run dry from nerves.

His blue eyes bore down into her own pair of sapphire jewels, their breath mingling for a moment. The ends of their noses were literally touching and she realized that her hair had to have been in his face when she landed on top of him. And it had been, only to remove itself when she raised her head. She could feel the warmth that radiated off him as their bodies were pressed together. And they continued to stare at each other for what felt like the longest of times.

However, she was the first one to blink and break eye contact as she turned her head to the side slightly as she looked away from him, her cheeks burning bright red with embarrassment.

When she felt the cold steel in her palm, she remembered what she was supposed to be doing instead of thinking of the oddly warm dwarf beneath her. Organizing her thoughts, she carefully began her work again in an attempt to ignore his piercing gaze as it raked across her facial features.

Thorin just continued to watch her as she diligently worked on cutting through the bag. She continued to wriggle slightly as she worked to get the bag open. His eyes held a bit of curiosity upon seeing her up close after traveling with her so long. She appeared so different at a distance. Like a fine piece of dwarvish art that held such small detail but appeared rough at a distance.

Her skin, from what he guessed, was normally flawless but here and there lay a few speckles of dirt and mud from their travels and from the stressful day that they had just went through. Yet it didn't surprise him that she was dirty.

It was a Company of dwarves after all and none of them really fancied baths so there was hardly anytime to be spared for hygiene.

And the both of them were so much distracted with both their work and each other that they didn't hear the rest of the conversation between Bilbo and the trolls. Ren felt a feeling of triumph wash over her as she cut through the top of the bag and freed herself. Yet she came to another impasse. What was she to do now that she was free?

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she slowly, yet awkwardly, lowered her head onto Thorin's chest as she thought of a plan to get them out of there. Thorin only stiffened as he felt her grow still. Then she slowly lay her head down on his broad chest and the dwarf was at a loss of what to do but continue to stare down at her.

Yet it seemed that she wouldn't need a plan, seeing as how light the night sky was getting and she knew that dawn was just around the bend.

"The dawn take you all!" Gandalf's voice echoed across the small hallow.

"Who's that?" Bert asked as the wizard appeared upon the top of a boulder that lay just beside the trolls' campsite.

"I have no idea..." William replied.

"Can we eat him, too?" Tom asked, stepping forward slightly. The wizard then raised his staff high above his head before bringing it down upon the stone beneath his feet, the boulder splitting in half to reveal the bright and warm sunlight of the dawn.

The trolls immediately began to cry out in pain as their flesh began to burn as it turned to stone and all of them watched with wide eyes as they came to a sudden stop, forever frozen in place as a statue.

All the dwarves turned to look at Gandalf before they let out merry laughter and loud cheers of joy. Ren picked her head up and smiled at the wizard before slowly turning her head back around to see one of the rarest sights she would ever behold in her entire life.

Thorin Oakenshield smiled.

He also turned his head back to look at the woman lying on top of him, both of their faces still holding wide smiles. And after a moment of realizing the situation, both those smiles faded as the two of them sobered, both their cheeks turning red from embarrassment.

Looking away, Ren pushed the rest of the sack off her and rolled off of Thorin and into the damp grass beside him. She then took the knife from before and began to cut through his bag until his limbs were was free as well and his moving capabilities were restored.

As the dwarf prince looked up to thank her, he realized that she was already gone and nowhere near him, instead helping his nephews and the hobbit with their sacks before offering them encouraging smiles that were as bright as the sunlight that shown into the hollow. And yet as he lay on the ground, he felt a bit of bitter disappointment cross through his system.

With a frown up his face, Thorin rose from the ground and pulled his sword from its place in the dirt before he began to free the rest of his Company. Upon freeing the rest of the dwarves on the ground, he had also asked his nephews to help him get their friends on the spit down but that is an entirely stressful tale that shall be saved for another day.

It wasn't a half an hour later that all the dwarves were freed and began dressing themselves, with some help.

Ren was off to the side, holding Bilbo's waistcoat out for him. He shrugged into it, giving her his thanks before she politely nodded her head before moving off to pick up her own leather jerkin and tunic. Yet a bit of conversation caught her attention.

"Where did you go to may I ask?" She pulled her deep red tunic over her head to that it came to rest over her thin shoulders as she listened into the words being exchanged.

"To look ahead!" Gandalf said as she tucked her shirt into her trousers. Ren also slipped her jerkin over her head and began to pull the strings that bound it together tightly.

"What brought you back?" Thorin asked, now fully clothed in his own fine furs.

"Looking behind..." The wizard replied and Thorin couldn't help but smile slightly before looking down at the ground. "Nasty business... But still, all in one piece!"

"No thanks to _your_ burglar..." Thorin murmured. Gandalf merely reminded Thorin that Bilbo had also been the one to try and buy them more time which quickly quieted the dwarf.

"None of the rest of you thought of that..." The two were silent for a moment and Ren slung her quiver over her shoulder before securing the leather straps around her torso before she put the two ivory handled daggers back into their sheaths on her back.

"I imagine that they came down from the Ettenmoors." She voiced her own thoughts as she placed her small knife back in her boot before making sure that the laces were tight.

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far South?" Thorin replied as Ren came to stand beside him and the wizard, her hand in her hair as she struggled to set it completely right.

"Not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands..." Gandalf turned his head slightly to meet Ren's eyes, the wizard hardly paying any attention to her since he arrived back. For he knew that she would hardly be the one to worry about. He was more concerned for the hobbit's sake. The two of them shared a knowing and Thorin caught a hold of this before Gandalf began to ponder something else. "They could not have moved in daylight..." He grumbled.

"There must be a cave nearby." Both Thorin and Ren said at the same time and the two looked at each other. Deciding that he was still cross with her, the dwarf lord then decided to ignore the woman and turned to look out at the surrounding trees, searching for any sign of the aforementioned cave.

Ren then turned in the opposite direction and began to walk through the clearing, her head tilted slightly more to one side. Both the dwarf and wizard watched her go before Gandalf spoke up, his curiosity tugging at him.

"My child, where are you going?" He called after her and she finally stopped to turn and look back at them.

"Well, judging on the direction of the tracks..." She pointed down at the painfully obvious trail that seemed well traveled by monstrous feet. "The smell on the wind..." She turned her nose up in slight disgust before making a face. "And the very fact that I can hear the wind blowing into _something_, my best guess would be that the cave we're looking for is this way!" She jerked her head in the direction of the location of the cave and then headed off where she had been heading to beforehand.

Gandalf immediately took off behind her, as did Thorin and with that the rest of the Company followed.

And just as the female had suspected, they did indeed find a cave. A very unpleasant one at that. Ren wrinkled her nose as she stepped down into the vile smelling dwelling. Her eyes only took moments to adjust to the darkness but she drew one of her knives out just as a precaution should anything still be living inside.

"What is that _stench_?" Nori asked as they walked down into the darkness, Thorin wielding a torch as he walked behind Gandalf who was behind Ren.

"It's a troll horde!"

"Did you expect it to smell like daisies and buttercups?" Ren asked sarcastically before moving onward down into the deeper parts of the cave.

"Be careful what you touch!" Gandalf warned and the stench was so bad, most of the dwarves began coughing as they got deeper into the collection of ancient valuables.

As Thorin waved the torch around, a familiar glimmer of gold seemed to catch all the dwarves' eyes and Ren could almost feel the excitement fill the air as she continued on. All she could do was roll her eyes. Dwarves and their gold. It was like some unexplainable infatuation.

"Seems a shame to just leave it lying around... Anyone could take it!" Bofur said as he stopped beside a small pile of gold, gently prodding the golden pieces with the toe of his boot.

"Agreed!" Gloin said. "Nori, get a shovel!"

With Ren still in the lead, she pushed deeper into the mess of the cave until she came upon a barrel of what appeared to be swords. Reaching down into the barrel, she was surprised when another hand reached down into the container beside her own, resting on the scabbard of the sword she already had her hand on. The two locked eyes for a moment, the battle over the fine sword on intensifying.

Yet Gandalf cleared his throat when the glares became too heated. Deciding that she would be the bigger person and not stoop to the dwarf's childish level, she released her grip before moving to grab another blade.

She then handed the long sword to Gandalf.

"These swords are not made by any troll." They held up both the weapons, Thorin's eyes looking at all the fine work put into the metal resting in his fingertips.

"Nor where they made by any smith among men..." Gandalf blew the dust off the long sword before pulling it a short distance out of the sheath. "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First Age!"

Ren watched as Thorin stilled at Gandalf's words, the dwarf lord having been admiring the work of the sword in his hands. But it seemed as though it were for naught. He would take no sword of _elvish_ make. The dwarf even moved to put the sword back but Gandalf's words stopped him.

Ren could only roll her eyes. Yes, he was indeed being childish.

"You could not wish for a finer blade!" The wizard scolded. Thorin, not believing his words, turned the sword over in his hands and pulled it open, revealing the beautiful silver lying underneath.

After inspecting the sword handed to him, Gandalf deemed it fit enough to keep and shouldered it with a satisfied grin. When he looked around the room, he caught Ren's amused gaze and could only smile himself.

The wizard wasn't usually one for thievery but it seemed as though he would succumb this one time. Technically, it wasn't stealing if the weapon was already stolen.

The others soon decided to leave the cave but not before burying a few chests filled with gold or rather, 'a long term deposit' in Gloin's words.

"Let's get out of this foul place!" Thorin said as he began to walk towards the entrance to the cave.

Ren was still rummaging around in the supplies, coming away with another quiver of fine elvish arrows. And yet, it seemed as though fate had an odd way of working.

As she was walking out of the cave, she moved to step up onto the next stair in the set of steps when her foot caught on something. And, being the complete opposite of the graceful creature that she was normally, she fell down into the dirt, knocking over a stack of old spears.

Now this certainly caused a lot of noise and the Company immediately rushed back into the dark cave to find her face down in the dirt, her left boot wrapped up in a leather strap that was taught as her food dangled in midair.

She slowly raised her head up, her entire face covered in dust and grime once again. It seemed as though the day could not be any longer. First the river and trolls, now this.

Above her, Gandalf pursed his lips before slowly shaking his head. Laughter slowly came out of his mouth as he saw how filthy her face and hair was now after the graceful face plant.

Thorin also stood in the front of the rest of the Company, all of them stifling laughter at seeing the dull an unamused look upon her face. The dwarf lord couldn't help that his lips turned up slightly in the corners. Revenge was sweet, even if she didn't deserve it.

Despite being completely and utterly embarrassed with herself, she turned over and tried to pull her foot out of the binding that it was tangled in. But no matter what, her foot would not come free.

Sitting up, she reached down and untangled her boot, pulling the leather from around her foot. However, curiosity got the best of her and she sat up on her hands and knees before crawling over to the pile. Reaching down inside the pile, she furrowed her brow before she pulled out another long sword that had been tangled in the variety of weapons.

Turning it over in her hand, she climbed to her feet, her blue eyes never leaving the sword. Wrapping her hand around the slightly curved hilt, she slowly pulled it free from its sheath and everyone in the cave grew silent in wonder.

The polished, silver metal glimmered in the fire light provided by the torches and Ren couldn't help but give a small smile of awe.

"It seems as if this blade doesn't want you to leave with out it!" Gandalf said as he watched the girl turn it over slightly, knowing that her stronger weapon was a bow.

Yet, that didn't mean that she couldn't wield a sword either. And who in their right state of mind would pass up a weapon of elvish make such as the one she was holding in her dusty hands?

But then Gandalf saw the far off look suddenly enter her eyes and he knew what was happening as she gazed down at the silver. Her mouth fell open slightly and her breathing grew shallow. When the wizard saw this, he immediately stepped into action.

"Ren, did you hit your head when you fell?" It took her a moment before she seemed to fade back into her own body upon hearing the wizard's words. Slowly turning to look at the wizard, most of the Company had bared witness to the event that had just occurred and most of them had nothing to say about it. She had made quite ruckus when she fell so maybe she actually had hit her head.

Trying to cover her little incident, she smiled slightly before raising a hand up to her head as if it was hurting her, "I must have..."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Balin said as he stepped towards her, concern flashing through his wise eyes. Ren only nodded before she sheathed the wonderful blade. Starring down at the dusty scabbard, she made the decision to keep it and as the Company began to move out of the cave. She fixed the leather strap about her waist, making sure that the buckle was secure.

Gandalf was the last one to leave the cave and he stopped, watching Ren walk back out into the sunlight, wiping dust from her eyes the entire way. It wasn't often that she fell like that. She was to quick on her feet normally. She was a trained hunter and tracker who was surefooted. It wasn't like her to fall on a normal basis.

That sword really must have been something to trip up the Lady. Or maybe it was just fate catching up with her.

As he moved to leave the cave, he stepped on something very solid and using his staff to push aside some of the leaves, he revealed a small sword in the rubbish. And upon seeing the small sword, a certain small someone came to mind. Approaching Bilbo, he gave the hobbit the sword and quietly told him that, "True courage isn't about knowing when to take a life but to spare one."

Overhearing those words, Ren smiled slightly. Gandalf also told her those very words when she had first stepped out into the world all those years ago. She had already mastered the bow at a young age. But she hadn't learned the value of a life. When she hunted, she would kill anything she came upon. Be it a mother doe with a young fawn, the younger woman hadn't cared.

So she had learned the value of life when she had first come across the wizard. As she was lying in the grass, nearly dying from thirst, he had come upon her and taken her under his wing.

The two had traveled for some time together and in that precious time, Gandalf had taught her nearly everything there was to know about the world. But he wasn't the only one she met. Over the years, Ren had met many people who helped her throughout her rough life. And she owed them everything.

And as she was making final adjustments on the sword attached to her waist, she heard something moving in the distance.

"Someone's coming!" She shouted before drawing her bow from her shoulder in one fluid motion. Her sword skills were a bit rusty and she didn't want to take any risks at the moment. She didn't need anyone getting hurt so early in their quest.

"Stick together! Hurry now! Arm yourselves!" Gandalf commanded, stepping away from the hobbit.

The entire Company clumped together and Ren drew an arrow out, readying for the enemy that was about to come bursting through the tree line. She waited with baited breath to steady her aim, her fingers holding tightly to the end of the nock.

"_Thieves_! _Liars_! _Murder_!" The strange little man on the sled shouted as he came to a stop in the clearing.

Recognizing immediately who the man was, Ren dropped her bow with a roll of her eyes before a smile graced her face. She had only just been thinking about him. He had also taught her much about the world. Or rather, the things that Gandalf didn't.

But, of course it would be _him_.

"Radagast!" Gandalf exclaimed, all the dwarves shocked and confused about what they were seeing. "Radagast the Brown!" Gandalf stepped forward. "What on _Earth_ are you doing here?"

* * *

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**Love,**

**Blue**


	9. Chapter 9

The Company all stood stalk still as they still clutched tightly to their weapons, most of them very confused about the events that had taken moments before. Bilbo stood beside the female with his mouth open as his eyes darted back and forth between the two wizards.

What on Earth was going on?

Ren bent down and examined his strange mode of transportation. Rabbits pulling a wooden sled. How peculiar yet it surprisingly seemed to fit the wizard and his way of life.

"I was looking for you Gandalf! Something's wrong! Something's terribly wrong!" He nearly shouted as his arms flailed about widely.

"Yes...?" Gandalf asked, not completely sure where the other wizard was going with the situation. It had been years that he had last seen Radagast yet he appeared unchanged as every wizard did.

The peculiar man went to say something and opened his mouth but he stopped, almost as if he had forgotten something. He did this twice more.

"Just give me a minute! Oh! I had the thought and I've lost it! It was right there on the tip of my tongue! Oh!" He then opened his mouth and pointed at the pink muscle. "It's not a thought at all! It's a little old stick insect!" Gandalf pulled the bug out of the strange wizards mouth before dropping it into his waiting palm. This made the man grin with glee as he looked at the tiny bug.

Of course these actions all earned a noise of disgust from the Company of dwarves. Ren even wrinkled her nose as she crossed her arms over her chest. He always was the odd one.

But the smaller wizard was too distracted by the bug to remember his once important business with Gandalf.

"You were saying, Radagast?" The brown wizard looked up upon hearing his name, his eyes sparkling with joy after seeing the bug. He slowly raised his eyes to find a tall, blonde woman before him. He gazed at the female for a moment with curiosity before a look of recognition crossed over his face, a larger grin pulling his lips upward.

"Little Squirrel!" He stepped forward to embrace the young woman, who had a large grin on her face as well. She had to bend down to properly hug the strange little man. The group of dwarves only exchanged a few uncertain glances. "It's been so long since you've visited, my girl!"

"I know and I apologize greatly. I've been rather busy... as of late." She stepped back from their hug, sending a glance towards the Company. The quest and her other business had left her little time to visit her old friends. And for that, she felt guilty.

"I've missed you so! And the animals have as well! Especially the squirrels! They miss you leaping through the trees with them!" The group only listened as the wizard began to ramble on about the various animals of the forest. It also caused most of the dwarves to snicker as they listened to the multiple times that he referred to her as his 'Little Squirrel'.

Ren also bit her lip every time she heard the strange name, knowing that it would come back to be used regularly instead of her real name. It would be used in jokes and in threatening. And in due time, there was no doubt that she would be asked the cause of the strange name. Which would lead to story time and she would spill things from her past that she didn't wish to spill.

"Radagast, I believe you came to seek me out for something?" He asked, trying to get his friend back on track.

"Yes, of course!" He turned away from the tall woman to only be lead away so that they could converse alone. She only watched the two of them go, her lips pulling upward slightly.

Setting her bow off to the side, Ren watched the wizards leave before she unfastened the buckle on the belt of her new sword and began to clean the dust and cobwebs off the rich brown leather. She quietly sat herself down on the ground, leaning her back up against the base of a tree.

Thorin could only watch the female as she worked. His hand reached up to stroke his beard in thought as he watched her.

She was a complete mystery to him. And he did not like that.

From what he could gather, she had left her home when she was young and hadn't returned since then due to the fact that her parents had neglected her or something of that degree. Her weapons skills were incredible for someone as young as she. In the beginning, he suspected that only en elf could master archery as she had.

Yet he knew that she was not an elf. She was much too... _rude_ to be one of the elvish folk.

She drank like a man, her manners at the table were terrible, she hardly cared for personal hygiene, and she had her moments of complete rudeness. The tripping incident in the cave also proved that she was not one of the graceful elleths from Rivendell or Lothlorien. Elves didn't fall. Elves didn't trip.

They were graceful and actually had manners. The one thing that Ren didn't have.

And yet she had also seemed to have traveled all across Middle Earth. She had mentioned that she had traveled from Gondor when they had first met in Bilbo's home. She had also lived in Rohan for some time yet she also said she had laid eyes on the Lonely Mountain before when she had been on some business that she could not speak about.

The more Thorin thought about it, the more she just didn't seem to make any now she was a friend of the strange Radagast the Brown!

Ren had just then finished the cleaning of her new blade when she felt a shift occur in the atmosphere. Something was coming. Something that wasn't necessarily good. She could feel it in her very being. A sense of dread had set into her bones and she knew that danger was closing in on them.

Just then, something howled in the distance, causing everyone in the Company to raise their heads from what they had been doing beforehand.

"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked from his place beside Ren. It seemed as though he had been gravitating towards her more often than not. He just felt safer with her than the others. He had reasoned with himself that should anything happen and things would come to a fight, Ren would be one of the few people that would stay behind and actually make sure that he was protected. She wouldn't leave him behind and he was proud to say that he was sure of that. "A-Are their wolves out there?"

"Wolves? Not that is not a wolf!" Bofur said as the dwarves all gazed around at the surroundings watching for sign of any trouble. The forest was oddly silent for a moment before there was a break in the quiet.

A large Warg came leaping down the bank behind them, knocking Dwalin to the ground. Thorin immediately sank his blade into the neck of the creature before another caught Ren's attention.

Both her and Kili rose up with their bows and fired at the Warg about to pounce on Thorin. The beast stumbled to the ground and Dwalin quickly finished it off with one of his axes.

"Warg scouts! Which means that an orc pack is not far behind!" Thorin said as he pried his new blade from the flesh of the wolf-like creature.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo squeaked, taking another step closer to Ren.

"Who did you tell about your quest? Who beyond your kin?" Gandalf snapped as he stepped back into the clearing after hearing the cries of pain caused by the Wargs. Radagast was only a short distance behind and he calmly gazed down at the dead animals.

Normally, the wizard was fond of all the creatures of the world. He, however, had made an exception for Wargs. They weren't the most lovable of things.

"No one!" Thorin said as Gandalf stepped towards him.

"Who did you tell?" The wizard snapped again and the dwarves eyes darted around the group to see that everyone was murmuring the same thing.

"No one, I swear!" Thorin insisted. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You're being hunted." Ren snapped as she angrily drew another arrow out of her quiver, her brow furrowed as she thought about her situation. The group was stuck in unfamiliar territory with an orc pack close on their tail, calling for the spilling of their blood. There was also the fact that Ren had a group of thirteen dwarves and a hobbit to worry about now.

"We have to get out of here!" Dwalin said.

"We can't! We have no ponies! They bolted!" Ori came back into the clearing, telling them all the grave news. Ren took a step closer to Bilbo in an attempt to offer him some sort of comfort. As soon as he had heard about the orcs, he had immediately rushed to her side and, despite the danger, Ren found it endearing. He trusted her with his life.

"I'll draw them off!" Radagast offered as he stepped up towards his rabbit-pulled sleigh.

"These are Gundabell Wargs! They will outrun you!" Gandalf protested.

"And these are Roscabell Rabbits! I'd like to see them try..." The brown wizard replied slyly before he climbed upon his sled and called for the rabbits to move forward. He disappeared into the dark forest.

"Farewell, Radagast!" Ren called after him, watching as his form grew harder to see as he was blocked from view by the trees.

"I will see you again soon, Little Squirrel!" He called back and she couldn't help but smile slightly. Radagast may not have been the bravest, nor the handsomest or strongest of wizards, but he was, without a doubt, the most kind.

Gandalf took up the point of the group and followed in the path that the sled had made through the foliage. The Company quickly followed until they were all racing through the trees, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Ren raced alongside the rest of the Company, keeping her eyes set on the trees should any other Warg appear to attack. Hearing the wizard tempting the orcs, the Company ran out to hide behind a nearby boulder, waiting for their chance to move.

"Come on!" Gandalf said as they hid behind a rather large stone and waited for their opening. Radagast zoomed by on his sled, a large group of Wargs and orcs perusing him the entire way. The wizard took off and the dwarves and hobbit quickly followed him with Ren running behind Thorin and Dwalin at the back.

However as they came out into an open area, the rabbit drawn sleigh and the back of Wargs crossed before them and the group froze in place, all of silently praying that they wouldn't be noticed.

"Stay together!" Gandalf warned before turning and running in the opposite direction. Their boots pounded as they raced across the dry grasslands and Ren continued to float at the back of the group, keeping a close eye on the rear. They stopped behind another large stone, Thorin grabbing Ori as he almost gave away their position when he accidentally stepped a few feet out into the orcs' view.

Once they had passed by again, Gandalf urged them forward but as his Company ran passed, Thorin stayed by Gandalf's side. "Where are you leading us?" The wizard never answered and instead brushed passed Thorin to continue running.

The group once again had to swerve as the orc pack came close to them and they were all pressed up against the base of a large rock when an orc atop a Warg came to stand on the ridge above them. Ren was crouched down, for the rocky ledge hiding them was that much too short. Instead, she had dropped down onto one knee and she was leaned back against the stone.

Thorin looked over at his dark haired nephew before glancing sideways over at the female archer in their group, making sure that she caught the silent message that he was sending to the both of them.

He wanted this taken care of quietly.

Kili then looked to Ren, their eyes locking in silent understanding. She pointed to herself and mouthed the word 'orc' before pointing to him and mouthing 'warg'. He nodded before readying his bow before looking back to her again.

"One, two, three!" She mouthed. At the same time, the moved away from the stone. Ren tucked and rolled out into the open before she spun back and took aim. Kili also turned back to face their enemies.

Firing, they both hit their mark and the orc was hit straight through the forehead. His body tumbled right off the orc and to the stony ground. The Warg was only hit in the chest and tumbled down the side of the stones, growling and howling in pain the entire time.

The Company quickly set to work silencing the beast but it was all for naught. They had been found. You see, he had made quite a ruckus and had decided to not come as quietly as they had first hoped.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf commanded as he left the Company behind. They all began to run out across the flat lands again. After a few minutes, Bilbo began to fall behind and he was breathing heavily. He was not a sprinter.

Seeing this, Ren reached back and grabbed a hold of his waist coat before pulling him forward and placing him between the rest of the Company and herself. She would make sure that he kept up. She wouldn't leave him behind. She couldn't leave anyone behind.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf began to lead them in another direction and the Warg's howls began to draw nearer. Bilbo stopped momentarily to see the large beats lumbering towards them and his eyes grew wide.

"Keep running!" Ren commanded the hobbit, using one hand to hold her bow while the other urgently pushed him forward. He complied with her command and moved forward. He felt bad for weighing on her so heavily. He didn't want her to have to worry about him so he decided to trek on without her having to keep reminding him. He wanted her mind to stay in the battle that was about to take place.

It wasn't long before Fili called out that they were surrounded completely and the Wargs began to close in for their kill. This caused the female to growl in frustration, knowing that they were about to get into close quarters with their very enemies. She needed to protect Bilbo. And she hoped that the rest could take care of themselves.

Ren took up post atop a nearby boulder and fired at any Warg that came to close for her liking. The least she could do was by them sometime to recover from their run. The mangy creatures began to drop like flies but the Wargs with riders were smart enough to stay back out of her range, simply waiting for her to run out of arrows as she shot at them.

"Where's Gandalf?" One of the members called.

"He's abandoned us!" Gloin replied and Ren dropped her bow upon hearing those words. She stepped down off the boulder and she took a few threatening steps towards towards the red headed dwarf.

"Gandalf would never leave us behind!" She hissed with disbelief, her eyes seeming to blaze with blue flames. When she faced forwards once more, all she heard was the growl and saw the gaping mouth as a Warg was about to leap on her. She could only flinch as her body waited for the attack. However, she was saved when a flash of silver came out of nowhere and cut down the animal just before it could reach her.

Her wide eyes looked up to find Thorin's own eyes boring into her own pair. She took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart but then her eyes widened again as she raised her bow and suddenly fired at him.

Thorin surely thought his life was going to end as she pointed her bow at him, only for the arrow to graze some of his dark hair before it impaled itself into the Warg right behind him. The beast dropped dead with a yelp, one of her arrows protruding between his now closed teeth.

His eyes widened as he turned to look back at Ren. She gave him a slightly shaken nod of approval which he returned, both of them thankful that they had been in the right place at the right time to save one another. Hearing another growl coming up behind him, he turned and sliced the Warg to instantly kill the beast. Once he was finished, he turned back to look at Ren, only to find her missing, already off in the distance, slaying an orc that had lept upon his blonde nephew.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin commanded as the female helped his nephew up off the ground. It wasn't until he blinked that he lost sight of her once again.

"This way you fools!" Gandalf called to the group as he emerged from the rock face behind them. They all looked back as he motioned them over before they all sprang into action and headed towards the cluster of stones.

"Quickly! All of you!" Thorin commanded as he stood beside the entrance to the hidden passageway.

One by one the dwarves and hobbit began to slide down into the hidden passageway, joining the wizard in the bottom of the pit.

"Kili!" Thorin spotted his nephew who was still firing arrows and covering one lone figure in the distance. Squinting, Thorin could make out the blonde hair of the lone woman in their group. In one hand, she held her new sword and in the other she held one of her long knives. She had ran out of arrows, save for one. Valiantly fighting against the enemies that were closing in, she tried to buy the dwarves some time.

She also continued to fight despite the fact that the dwarf covering her had left and she stood alone.

With a growl of exertion, she turned around and a Warg lept at her. Spearing the large beast on her new blade, black blood came spraying down onto her clothes and her face and she made a noise of disgust as she ripped her new sword free as the creature collapsed onto its side, dead. She wiped the back of her arm across her face, only smearing the black blood more across her face. She grumbled in annoyance as she jerked her hand towards the ground, the black blood splattering off her sleeve and to the ground.

"Ren!" Thorin shouted to her, knowing that now was the chance for them to escape to safety. She only glanced back momentarily, almost as if she were ignoring him. This only infuriated him and he let out a growl of frusteration "REN!" He shouted and this time she really looked back.

They shared another look across that great distance, no words needing to be exchanged between them.

_Come back. _

_Not yet! _

_Now. _

_No! _

_Please rejoin the Company. _

_...Alright. _

But that was not what was most amazing thing. He had called her by name. It was the very first time.

With an internal sigh, she sheathed both blades and she turned and began sprinting towards them, pumping both her arms as she propelled herself forward. Making room for her, Thorin slid down into the hidden pathway, waiting for the woman to join them.

Hearing a growling coming behind her, Ren reached back and took hold of the bow over her shoulder before pulling out the only arrow she had left out of the quiver and knocking it.

As she stepped out over the hole of the hidden passage way, she turned in midair and took aim. As she fell downward, she fired the arrow and the Warg let out a loud cry of pain before she fell down into the hole, its mouth closing around the air where her foot had been only a moment ago.

Landing hard on her back, she hissed in pain as she continued to tumble down into the hole. She swore she heard something crack in her body before the pain came. _A rib._ She thought to herself as her body tumbled head over heels.

Strong hands stopped her continuous tumble and her head spun for a moment as someone seized her shoulders and pulled her deeper into the cave. As she lazily opened her dazed blue eyes, she looked up to find that Thorin himself gripped tightly to her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" He asked, seeing the confusion written in her pupils.

"I-I don't know..." She breathed, her mind and body both still shaken. She was sure that sometjing was broken in her body, she just had yet to feel it with all the adrenalin coursing through her veins. "I will be..."

At those words, Thorin released her shoulders and stepped in front of her to make sure that the entrance was continuously guarded, his new sword clutched tightly in his palms.

Ren lay back down on the ground and Gandalf was by her side in a moment.

"Are you alright?" He repeated Thorin's words.

"J-Just let me sit quietly for a moment..." She panted Bilbo's words as the pain began to ooze into her body from the back of the right side of her rib cage.

Outside the cave, the orcs were prowling about, looking for the passage that the dwarves had used to escape. Luckily enough, it was hidden well enough that they were having difficulties finding it which provided them with some time.

Feeling well enough after a few longer moments, Ren sat up but clutched her side in the process. Kili and Fili carefully helped her up from the ground, both of them attempting to dust her off but it was all for naught seeing as how she was almost unrecognizable as she was completely covered with black blood from the ridge of her nose all the way down to her boots, the sticky liquid covering her entire front and staining her clothes.

A horn suddenly sounded above them, drawing all their attention away from her. The sounds of battle also reach their ears and Ren only wiped her nose before looking over at Gandalf. She knew where he was taking them now.

She didn't even have to see the arrow that was embedded into the orc that fell down into their hiding place to know where they were going.

"Elves." Thorin growled before throwing the arrow down in disgust.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads!" Dwalin called from the back of the cave where a tunnel opened up. "Do we follow it or no?"

"Follow it of course!" Bofur said as he chased after Dwalin and the rest of the Company soon followed.

"I think that would be wise..." Gandalf said as he exchanged another look with Ren before she followed after little Bilbo who kept sending her odd looks as she clutched her side. Gandalf also noticed this as she walked by, her hand holding her ribs with a slightly pained expression on her face.

The Company walked for what felt like forever, the passage way getting smaller and smaller the closer they got to their destination. The dwarves grew uneasy as the walls drew nearer. The group had to walk in a single file line. Ren walked quietly through the tight spaces, only having to twist and turn slightly to make it through the passage.

It wasn't an hour later that the narrow path opened up to a wider shelf so that they could look out over the sights that lay before them.

Ren walked ahead of Bilbo and turned back, wanting to see the look of wonder on his face at what lay before them. For after all, he never seemed to stop talking about elves and at one point in their journey, Ren had asked him to stop.

And as she had predicted, his face lifted into a smile of awe as the sun shone down into the large valley before them.

"The Valley of Imladris." Gandalf said as he came around the corner, him being the last person. "In common tongue, it's known by another name!"

"Rivendell." Bilbo said quietly, still in awe.

"Here lies the Last Homely House East of the sea." Gandalf continued to explain and Ren shot him another look. He was very sneaky. Very sneaky indeed. She knew that Thorin would not be pleased.

"This was your plan all along! To seek refuge with our enemy!" Thorin accused the wizard. Ren listened to their conversation, wiping her eyes the entire time all the while smelling herself and nearly gagging.

She really needed to change her clothes and wash off. She smelt rather foul and her hair was starting to become sticky with the dark liquid as well.

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found is that what you bring yourself!" The wizard scolded and this only fueled Thorin's anger further.

"You think the elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us..." Thorin said this and Gandalf couldn't help but let his eyes wonder back to Ren. She was still struggling with her own wound. The longer she stood still, the more it would begin to hurt.

"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered!" Thorin could only bow his head in defeat. "If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me!"

"But are you so sure that we must stop here?" Thorin asked once more and all Gandalf had to do was motion his head slightly in Ren's direction. Thorin now noticed how she was holding her side and she winced every once in a while, though she was trying very hard to hide it.

He sighed through his nose, a sort of adoration shinning through his eyes as he gazed at her. He hadn't even realized that she was hurt until Gandalf had mentioned it. She was not the type of woman he had first believed her to be. Brave, courageous, and strong in her own way. She was not soft in the slightest. She was one of the strongest members of his group.

"Very well..." He said, actually taking her own wounds into consideration. She had kept her pain to herself if only to get the group to move forward on their journey. Hopefully, the elves could help her. Elves did, after all, have very powerful medicine and she would be healed easily and quickly. For he wished not to remain in the Hidden Valley longer than necessary.

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review!**

**Hey, thanks for all the reviews last chapter guys! It was pretty awesome. **

**Anyway, yes they are moving right along in the story. We have already reached Rivendell. And the pot will be stirred. Thorin and Ren may be getting along fine at the moment but just you wait. **

**Anyway, yeah. Ren's hurt now. She'll be okay now. She's a big girl. **

**Plus, she knows Radagast! Their story together will probably be explained later in the story. I hope, anyway. **

**Read and review! Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**Love,**

**Blue**


	10. Chapter 10

They proceeded to climb down the path, taking their time due to the exhaustion that was evident throughout the entire Company. It felt as though they had run across the entirety of Middle Earth and their legs were heavy as they headed towards the elvish residence in the valley below.

Ren didn't know if she was glad or nervous that they were headed towards civilization. She was, after all, completely filthy as she was still covered in mud from the river escapade and the filth was only added to when she spilled the Warg's blood all over herself. So you may conclude that she only wished for a warm bath. Walking alongside little Bilbo, he asked her if she was okay every couple of minutes. She, of course, said that she was fine every single time but when she would look away, she would wince before adjusting the hold she had on her side.

They had to cross a narrow bridge before stepping into elvish territory. As they came to arrive in the grand stone courtyard, all of them continued to gaze around in awe, Bilbo the one being the most amazed.

"Mithrandir!" Someone called and they all looked up as an elf dressed in dark robes descended the steps and onto their level.

"Lindir!" Gandalf greeted the elf back. Bilbo grabbed Ren's forearm in excitement and she couldn't help but smile down at him. This was his first encounter with an elf. And he was so excited. All his life's wishes must have been coming true in that moment.

"We heard you crossed into the valley..." The elf greeted Gandalf.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond!" The wizard asked of the elf who only nodded slowly, a look of uncertainty passing over his fine features.

"My Lord Elrond is not here."

"Not here? Where is he?" Just then, a horn sounded in the distance and the entire Company turned back around to see who was making the noise. A troop of horses came thundering down the cliff side, flying the banners of Rivendell.

Thorin shouted something in dwarvish before going on to yell, "Close ranks!"

Ren was then yanked back and she hissed in pain as she was forced into the center of the circle of dwarves, the sudden movement causing a string of pain to shoot up her side. The large horses circled around their small group and Ren glanced to the side to find Thorin beside her, scowling angrily at the elves above them. No, he was indeed not happy at all. Should the elves attack, he would not hesitate to retaliate.

"Gandalf!" A regal looking elf called to the man clothed in gray.

"Lord Elrond!" The wizard returned the greeting as the elf lord handed the reins of the familiar black horse he was holding to another elf that approached on foot. Ren couldn't help but let her lips twitch up slightly upon seeing the steed, glad that he was found and safe.

"My friend! Where have you been?"

"We've been hunting a pack of orcs that came up from the South!" Elrond explained as he stepped out of the saddle and dropped to the ground in a graceful way. "We slew a number near the Hidden Pass..." He continued slowly, as if he were already figuring the reason why the orcs were in their land. It wasn't everyday that the foul creatures dared to cross the border. For they knew that they would be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

The elf lord stepped forward and briefly embraced the wizard.

"Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near!" He proceeded to say, his lips pulled up slightly in a sly smile.

"Oh! That may have been us!" It was at this time that Thorin stepped forward to reveal his presence to the elves.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain!" Elrond greeted with the slight bow of his head, showing respect as was custom upon meeting another that came from royalty.

"I do not believe that we have met..." Thorin replied a bit coldly as he crossed his arms over his chest. Ren could only roll her eyes. Should he not play his cards right, they would be discarded from the Hidden Valley, or worse. Imprisoned.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain."

"Indeed. He made no mention of you..." Ren wanted to step forward and slap Thorin for being so rude. She could feel the tension in the air thicken slightly, the elf not appreciating the fact that he was being talked to in such a rude manor. If Thorin continued in his childish ways, it would be a fact that they would not be allowed another step into the elvish dwelling.

Lord Elrond then let out a long string of, what the dwarves assumed were, hateful words.

"What does he say? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin asked as he stepped forward through the group of dwarves, having not understood a single word he had said.

"No, he is kindly offering us food and a place to stay..." A quiet voice called from the back of the group. The dwarves then turned and looked to Ren who slowly pushed through the group of dwarves, most of them moving to the side seeing as how she was hurt. Bilbo also followed her forward and handed handed her another one of his handkerchiefs.

Coming to stand beside Thorin, Ren took a moment to wipe her face so that she was actually recognizable yet her skin was still stained black slightly from the Warg blood.

Lord Elrond looked puzzled for a moment before he seemed to light up upon seeing the dirty female and he let out a long string of elvish before stepping forward and tightly embracing her, despite the fact that she was still covered in sticky Warg blood. She hissed in pain when he squeezed her one side too tightly. She shifted uncomfortably in his grasp before he pulled back slightly.

He questioned her for a moment in elvish, worry written in his eyes.

The girl paused momentarily to nod before she spoke right back in elvish, using a sheepish tone when she explained to him that she was hurt. Elrond seemed to take in this information for a moment before he muttered something under his breath before bringing her into a more gentle hug, making sure to stay clear of her right side. She wrapped her free arm around him in an attempt to return the gesture. Stepping back, the elf lord then motioned to the familiar black horse off to the side and she beamed before hugging the elf again, thanking him for bringing Chief to safety.

The dwarves were completely silent as they watched the exchange take place. A few of them murmured quietly to one another, trying to figure out what was going on. Thorin, however, was trying not to voice his seething rage. She was speaking _elvish_. That was another secret that she kept from them. He was becoming tired of all the secrets.

Remembering his guests, Elrond turned to face the rest of the Company, leaving Ren to meet Thorin's gaze and she immediately knew that she would be questioned the second that they were alone.

"After you clean up and are rested, we shall dine together. Your wounds will also be treated to. Now, you shall all be shown to your rooms..." Lindir stepped forward and took the Lady's arm and began to lead her away. She was not going to be one to refuse food, seeing as how she had missed supper the night before and they had yet to eat anything that day.

More elves eventually arrived and showed the dwarves a place where they could wash up on a terrace in a large and crystal clear fountain. Fili and Kili were both glad to wash up and get the mud out of their hair and beards, seeing as how the river had given them a thorough mud bath.

About an hour later, they were all seated around a long table with a fine spread of colorful foods mostly consisting of different shades of green and yellow. Flute and harp music was quietly being played in the backgrounds. Yet as they all sat in their seats, they took a silent count. It seemed that a few of their members were missing. A few meaning one. A particular one and they all wondered what the long wait could be.

After Elrond had explained to them the tales about the swords that they had found in the troll horde, then did the final member of their group decide to show.

At first neither Thorin, Gandalf, or rather the rest of the Company, knew that it was Ren who sat down beside Elrond at the long dinner table.

Her hair was clean and combed, the golden strands falling down in soft waves to rest about her shoulders. It however, hung natural for she heavily argued with the fact that they wanted to put her hair up and out of her face. Her skin was scrubbed clean of the dirt and grime until it was perfectly smooth. She had walked into the room with a purpose, nearly giving no hint to the fact that she had been wounded only a short time ago. But the most amazing fact was that she was clad in a dark blue, velvet dress that seemed to cling to her body. It had long sleeves that clung to her toned arms and the skirt fell slightly passed her feet so her new boots were hidden from view.

She seated herself in the last empty seat at the table while an elf had helped her to scoot in. The food on the tabletop was evenly distributed throughout the party and there were some rumblings about the fact there was little to no meat to be found. Despite the fact that she never had the taste for vegetables, the loud rumblings of her stomach called for food so she complied with the time being.

Gandalf and Elrond kept the conversation flowing at the head of the table, seeing as how the tension in the air was rather thick between the two other occupants. Ren mostly kept her eyes down on the plate of greens before her while across the way, Thorin was leaned back in his chair, simply watching her with his stone cold eyes. She was also trying to ignore the fact he _was_ watching her and it was causing unsettling feelings to enter her stomach.

"How are you feeling, _seler'_?" Elrond suddenly engaged her in conversation and she sat her fork down before she turned to face her host.

"Better, I had a few broken ribs but nothing that your lovely healers couldn't cure..." She patted her side underneath the dress where she had been bandaged, glad that the pain had dulled significantly to a simple aching.

"Very good. I almost didn't recognize you when you first arrived!" He beamed at her before risking a glance at Gandalf who just smiled smugly.

"Forgive me for always being a messy guest, _toror'_!" She beamed at the elf lord who only chuckled, thinking back to the last time he had seen her. The predicament had been very similar and she had been just as covered in filth.

Thorin only narrowed his eyes as the two conversed, both of them passing short phrases in elvish every once in awhile.

"I have been told that you have also come to possess a new weapon..." He gestured to one of the elves behind them and they brought out the blade that Ren had most recently acquired from the cave. The leather scabbard was perfectly cleaned and the silver accents that traveled up and down the length of it shimmered as if they were newly forged.

"Indeed!" She watched as Elrond took the blade from the elf and began to examine the fine details. Wrapping his long fingers around the slightly curved hilt, he pulled the sword out a few inches as he examined the blade, the newly polished silver glimmering in the rays of the sun that continued to lower farther into the sky.

"Oh, yes..." He smiled slightly as he looked up from the sword to her. "This is Ringil, the sword of Fingolfin, passed High King of Noldor and forged by the elves of Gondolin. This is a sword of legend! It was said that this blade wounded Morgoth seven times before the King was killed. Ringil means 'cold-star' in our tongue. You have a very special blade in your possessions you, lucky child..." He explained before handing the sword back to her with a smile.

She only nodded before lying it across her lap, her fingers running over the warm brown of the leather.

"How did you come by these?" Elrond asked after he made sure that Ren was comfortable. To find not one but three blades forged by the High elves was something that rarely occurred.

"We found them in a troll horde on the Great East Road shortly before we were ambushed by orcs!" Gandalf explained, his eyes shifting over to Ren and then Thorin for only a moment.

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Elrond looked from Gandalf to Thorin to Ren. Her face paled for a moment and her blue eyes were directed down into her lap, silently saying that she had no other words to share with him. It was not her secret to give.

She also did not wish to give Thorin another reason to be angry with her. She already sensed that she was in hot water.

Dinner continued on after that, a bit of light conversation passing about the table. Ren only leaned back in her chair and listened, resisting the urge to cross her legs and sit very unladylike which she normally did. She was getting rather bored staying seated at the table, seeing as how the conversation had strayed to boring matters.

It wasn't until later that a rather large ruckus occurred and Ren was nearly tackled to the ground and out of a chair when a pair of twin elves entered the room. Both of them were rather handsome and appeared to be almost exactly the same in both looks and personality. They reflected the look of Lord Elrond himself and one could only guess that they were his sons. Both of them chatted equally as fast with Ren and she couldn't help but hug the both of them, having not seen them in so long.

Excusing herself from dinner, she let the twins lead her away, a large grin on her face.

Thorin watched her go, a frown marring his features. The rest of the Company also watched them leave, their curiosity beginning to peak when she disappeared with the two almost unbelievably handsome elves.

"_What sort of_ _mess have you gotten yourself into now_, Ren?" Elrohir asked as he looped her hand through one of his arms when they were out of sight of the troop of dwarves.

"_Yes, you've lowered your standard to dwarves now_?" Elladan asked, taking her other hand so she was trapped between them.

The blonde girl couldn't help but feel a bit squeamish. Sometimes she felt overwhelmed when talking with the twins. They usually teamed up on her in the past and it was a bit overwhelming at times. Yet, despite the fact that she found them annoying, she had missed them during her lonely years of travel.

"_No, I've only come on Gandalf's request_..." She protested.

"_Yet you've still decided to travel with them_?!" Elrohir asked. Both of them groaned in unison and Ren frowned slightly at that. It seemed as though they had the twin telepathy going again. "_How do you do it_?"

"_They are not as horrible as they first appear_..." She continued to protest.

"_The one sitting across from you looked as though he were going to attack you with that new elvish blade of his_!"

"_You mean... Thorin_?"

"_Yeah, that big brute with the beard!_" Ren laughed softly and they both frowned.

"_All of them have beards, Elladan_..." She assured him before frowning slightly, knowing that the elf's words were not true in the slightest. "_But none of them are really brutes_..." She assured the brothers who frowned slightly as she released their arms to walk ahead of them before leaning on a balcony to overlook the wonders of Rivendell below. Deep in the valley, the crystal clear water rushed by with a quiet roar as it poured down int the various pools formed by the waterfalls. "O_n the outsides they may seem a bit rough and tough but once you get to know them, you realize that most of them are sweet... in their own special way_."

"_And is this 'Thorin' dwarf sweet_?" The woman paused for a moment to think. Was Thorin really all that sweet?

"_Not particularly, no."_ Both elves paused to grin in triumph._ "But in his own way he shows that he care_s_ for the Company_..."

"_And he cares about you how_?" She sighed through her nose. The twins were really wearing her thin already with so many questions. Maybe she needed to rethink wanting to take them on her journeys. And yet, she remembered one that they had gone on in particular and it only caused her to grow quiet.

It brought forth dark thoughts and memories. Memories that she had tried to bury so long ago.

"_He... He cared enough to save me from a Warg._"

Both brothers exchanged a look before the same words came from both their mouths. "_So, he was enforcing one of the simplest of laws to protect all that is good that is enforced in the rules of everyday chivalry_?" It was kind of disturbing how they had done that.

She gazed back at the two dark haired elves for a moment, feeling that she was really losing this argument. "_Would you two be quiet_!" She cried before they snickered and then something clicked again in their heads, a devious grin pulling at their features.

"Oh and by the way... We have a surprise for you!" They chimed together before they each took one of her arms again.

"What is it?" She asked, slightly panicking when she figured that she was being led into one of their complex and rather embarrassing tricks that they had played on various elves in the past.

"It's a surprise!"

"We can't tell you!" They pulled her along through the various hallways until they reached one of the glorious garden walkways. In the distance, she could see a person standing alone as they also looked down across the beautiful landscape of Rivendell.

Together, their footsteps grew completely silent and they snuck up on the person. Shoving her forward and out into the open, she glanced back at them with a questioning look before they hid behind a pillar, motioning for her to move forward.

She continued to creep along before she was only a few feet away from the person. And as she drew nearer, she had a sneaking suspicion of who it might be. His dark hair blew gently in the warm summer's wind. He was tall and stood with a regal posture. For a moment, she thought he may have been someone else but then reasoned that it was not possible. The man she believed him to be was dead. And then a second thought occurred.

"Estel?" She asked quietly and the dark haired figure spun around, for she had caught him off guard. His eyes were wide with both fear and surprise. But it only took him a moment before he recognized her.

"R-Ren?" He asked, completely astonished. He couldn't believe it was really her. "I haven't seen you in years!" She laughed in surprise before she glanced back at the pillar, now thankful that the young elves had brought her to her friend.

"Then give your old friend a hug!" She said as she herself leapt at the younger man. He laughed as he embraced her before he spun the two of them around slightly. Setting her back on the ground, she reached up and felt the rough stubble on his sun kissed cheeks.

"Estel! Look at you! You've grown so quickly!" She played with his still slightly chubby cheeks. He chuckled before he removed her hands, not liking the feel of her acting like an older woman after paying her grandson a visit. He never did like when she pinched his cheeks.

"Actually, I go by Aragorn now..." He sobered quickly and his smile fell before she followed suit as he said this. Her cheeks paled and her blue eyes widened. Her heart stopped in her chest. He had found out. He then looked up into her eyes before realization dawned on him. "You... You knew the entire time, didn't you?" He asked quietly.

She could only smile sadly before nodding her head slightly. "I've always known, Estel. Ever since you were younger. I was given the job to keep you safe until you could take care of yourself. And I did, didn't I?" She asked him quietly, turning his face so that he would properly look at her.

"Yes."

"And just because you go by a different name now doesn't mean that our friendship means any less to either of us, does it?" She asked him and his eyes shown in the light cast from the moon that was slowly rising in the sky.

He thought her words over for a moment before smiling. "It seems that you never change, Ren... Always so wise!" He then suddenly crossed behind her and covered her eyes with his hands, the Ring of Barahir cool against her skin. "Now, I have yet to beat you at hide and seek but that changes tonight!" He whispered before uncovering her eyes and when she opened them, he was gone.

With a small smile, Ren listened for a moment, hearing footsteps echoing down a particular hallway. With a devious smirk, she took off into the Last Homely House, not wanting the young man to beat her just because he was now older and hopefully, more silent. He always had a problem controlling his giggling when they used to play when he was but a child.

"Estel! You'll never beat me!" She yelled down the hall and she heard his laughter come resonating down the hall to her left.

Turning down that way, she continued to run before she turned again, nearly running into someone in the process. With a yelp, she nearly fell as she dodged the people but she was saved as a pair of strong hands grabbed onto her upper arms.

Her eyes immediately met pale blue and the two stood there for a moment, both a bit startled by her sudden appearance. "T-Thank you, Master Oakenshield..." Her cheeks blazed red as they stepped away from each other.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and both turned to find a good portion of the Company behind them. Lord Elrond also stood a couple feet ahead, having been the one to lead them down the passageways.

"Just the person we were looking for!" Gandalf said and she looked behind the wizard Balin and Bilbo in his wake. Ren could only sigh as she looked between the wizard and the dwarf lord. What could they really need _her_ for?

* * *

"Our business is no concern of elves."

"For goodness sake, Thorin! Show Lord Elrond the map!" Gandalf nearly shouted as his voice echoed off the walls of the library they were currently occupying.

"It is the legacy of my people! It is mine to protect as are its secrets!" Thorin insisted as they stood in the dark room, his arms crossed defensively over his chest and the map that lay in the pocket resting upon his breast.

Ren stood silently off to the side, her arms crossed over her chest, almost having enough of the argument that had ensued nearly an eternity ago. Not in the literal sense.

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves! Your pride will be your downfall!" Gandalf barked, completely annoyed with the fact that Thorin was acting like a child yet again. "You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle Earth who can read that map! Show it to Lord Elrond!"

Glancing over at the woman standing in the shadows to find that she was also annoyed by the fact that they were continuously fighting. He shut his eyes momentarily and sighed through his nose before making his decision. If they were to actually reach the Lonely Mountain, they would need to know the way inside. And that was one bit of information that they had yet to acquire.

So, he reached inside his vest to retrieve the map.

"Thorin, no!" Balin tried to stop the dwarf but Thorin himself stopped Balin and handed the map to Elrond, his eyes still ablaze with hate for all of elvish kind.

"Erebor..." Elrond said as he read the title. "What is your interest in this map?" The dwarf opened his mouth to lie but the wizard saved him.

"It's mainly academic! And you know that this sort of artifact contains hidden text..." Gandalf covered for Thorin who exchanged a look with him. _Tactful_. Gandalf's voice echoed through his mind and he remembered that should they wish to get out of Rivendell quickly, he would have to go along with the wizard's plan.

"Or, you know, it could be just for fun..." Ren added nonchalantly as she pushed off of the pillar she was leaning against, wanting instead to be playing hide and seek with Estel instead of sitting in on this meeting. Politics never really were her strong point. She found them to be terribly boring and a waste of time.

Gandalf simply grinned at Ren, knowing that she certainly not having the most fun at their stay in the elvish dwelling. She'd rather be spending her time causing trouble with the twins than being the peacekeeper between the elves and dwarves.

"You still read ancient dwarvish do you not?" The wizard asked as he turned back to the elf. Elrond held the map up in the moonlight streaming into the room, muttering a few words in elvish as he read the text. This only caused the dwarves to exchange a look of confusion. Bilbo of course was also very confused and could only blink upon hearing the wonderful language.

"Moon runes." Both Gandalf and Ren translated at the same time. Thorin's head snapped up to look at her, his eyes narrowing in anger.

That still bothered him. He would have to confront her later on that. First Rohirric, now elvish. He wanted to know how she came to learn the accursed tongue in the first place. He supposed that she would make another excuse.

"Of course it is!" Gandalf continued before looking over at Bilbo. "An easy thing to miss..." He winked.

"If this case is true, moon runes can only be read by the light of the moon of the same shape and season as the day it was written." Elrond stated as he continued to gaze down at the worn piece of paper.

"Can you read them?" Thorin asked, his smooth baritone echoing off the walls of the room before it reverberated back into Ren's ears, the sound causing her eyes to close. It was like the singing all over again. It just did something to cause all things around her to become irrelevant.

"We will see."

Without saying another word, Elrond lead the group down another long hallway before they slipped down a passage way that was partially hidden behind a pillar. It was very dark inside and Ren was lucky that even she was able to see in this type of darkness. Yet as they rounded a set of corners, the moonlight burned her eyes as they stepped out onto the small ledge on the cliff. Waterfalls fell over the sides of the mountain above them and the mist seemed to shimmer in the moonlight causing the entire area to appear magical.

Now, Ren had traveled the world and seen a wide number of things but never before had she seen the moon so large and bright, even if it was only a crescent shape. And of course, the shimmering glow from the mist in the air also took her breath away, all so much that she didn't hardly hear what her old friend was saying.

The rays from the moon refracted through the mist and into the crystal platform, causing the entire thing to glow and reveal the hidden ruins.

"Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's day will shine upon the keyhole." The elf lord read and Ren couldn't help but let her eyebrows slope slightly as she thought about the invisible words.

"Durin's day?" Bilbo turned to Balin.

"It is the start of the dwarves' new year when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together!" Gandalf explained to the smaller hobbit. Ren also filled this information away for later, her eyebrows raising slightly.

"This is ill news! Summer is passing! Durin's day will soon be upon us!" Thorin voiced his concern as he himself thought things over. Ren had to look away from the mist upon hearing the suddenly frantic voice of the dwarf.

"We still have time!" Balin assured the dark haired dwarf who ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Time? For what?" Bilbo asked.

"To find the entrance. We have to be standing in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time, then and only then can the door be opened." The white haired dwarf continued to explain.

"So this is your purpose? To enter the mountain?" Elrond asked and all of them froze as the elf said this. Ren felt her face pale and she held her breath.

"What of it?" Thorin replied quietly, knowing that they were caught.

"There are some who would not deem it wise..." Elrond told the dwarf prince as he handed him the worn map from before. His eyes flickered over to Ren for a moment as she stepped up to the edge of the self to look down, seeing the water far below as it pooled together before making its way out of the valley.

"Who do you mean?" Gandalf asked and the elf lord simply turned to look at Gandalf, a knowing look in his eyes.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth..." He said in a lower voice before turning to Ren. She had been mulling her own thoughts over but when she had heard the elf's words, her head snapped up like that of a taught tree branch.

"You don't mean?" She looked to the dark haired elf, her cheeks going paler than any of them had ever seen before. He only pursed his lips slightly, giving Ren her answer without even having to speak. "No..." She breathed as her blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

Once again, the two began to speak in elvish. Or rather, Elrond was speaking in elvish. Ren was shouting in it.

She pointed a harsh finger at the dark haired dwarf before pointing it at herself, shouting rapidly the entire time. Her elder spoke back calmly and in a softer tone but the blonde would have none of it.

Shouting a few more things, she threw her hands above her head in frustration and anger before she stormed out off the ridge in the side of the cliff and back towards the dark passage way.

"Ren, where are you going?" Gandalf called behind her, worry evident in her tone.

"To seek the company of the only ones around here who have any sense!" She shouted back, her voice echoing off the words. It stung a bit for Gandalf to find that she mimicked his words in such a harsh way.

"And who would that be?"

"Elladan and Elrohir!" She continued walking before she stopped and turned back to face them. "And Estel!" And then she was gone.

Gandalf could only sigh through his nose before looking to Elrond who looked just as disappointed as Gandalf felt. They watched as her golden mop of hair disappeared into the darkness.

"Why must my meetings with her always end this way?" The elf lord sighed and the wizard could only nod, having similar results when they spoke of certain matters.

"She is but a child and children eventually come to learn their lessons..." He supplied and the elf lord turned to leave with Gandalf in his wake. "Even if the child must become harmed in the process to learn that lesson..."

* * *

**You know what to do, read and review!**

**Hey, guys! Thanks for all the reviews for last chapter! You guys are seriously the best! I love all my readers and reviewers! Just stay tuned for the next chapters! **

**So, Ren kind of just threw a fit at the very end there. She has her childish moments. **

**Elladan and Elrohir also are fond of our female companion. That's another story for another day. Again. All you have to do is just stay tuned to find out Ren's tale! It is a rather crazy one and the ride will be wild. **

**And I know that Estel doesn't appear in the Hobbit but I thought I would just add him in. Also, she has a bad ass sword like Thorin and Gandalf. Oh, yeah. I also forgot to mention the fact that she speaks elvish. **

**Which will lead to muchos problemos with Thorin. Yeah, it won't be good. Just wait. It will come in the next chapter. **

**Also, are their any artists out there? If someone would seriously like to give me a drawing of what Ren looks like, that would be awesome. If I get a really cool one, I may just use it as the cover of my story... With your permission of course! **

**Seriously though, I want to see what you guys think she looks like! **

**Or if you don't submit a picture, review and tell me who you think would make a good Ren!**

**Love, **

**Blue**


	11. Chapter 11

When Ren appeared before the Company next, she was dressed once again in a tunic and pair of trousers. The color and fabric of her tunic had changed from a deep red to a silvery blue but the vest over the top was her own that had simply been washed many, many times to get the smell out.

A few hours had passed after the meeting with Elrond about the map and the dwarves were all sitting around a fire, eating what little meat the had managed to find in what provisions they still had from the last few days of traveling.

For their supper wasn't as pleasant as they had first hoped it to be. The lettuce was not as popular with the dwarves as one would have first thought.

Most of the men were in their under layers but Ren had seen them plenty of times and simply ignored the fact to simply sit in the presence of the dwarves just to hear their hearty laughter.

For it had come to warm her heart and she had not even realized it before it was gone. And in this time, she needed to have her heart warmed.

Her mood about Rivendell had entirely changed now. When she had first arrived, she had felt as though she had been coming home to her adopted family but now due to further complications, it felt like a prison. A prison she wished to escape.

She had only gotten a short distance after leaving the meeting when both the twins and Estel had found her, tears streaming down her lovely cheeks. Both angry and sad.

But the boys had immediately sensed her damper of mood and it seemed as though a couple of good spars were enough to kill her ill feelings for the time being. They had been a wonderful distraction.

And as soon as she had stepped onto the terrace given to the dwarves, she immediately felt eyes upon her. She was well aware of the fact that her eyes had been red, for she had been crying the entire time she was renewing her sword skills.

Also to her own surprise, she came to find that Estel had learned to spar and had greatly improved in his skills with the blade since they had last met. He nearly beat her once but she managed to squeak out a victory and win when she kicked the sword from his hands. Of course, she had suspected none the less from young Aragorn, seeing as who his father was. He would certainly be a great man when he grew up. She was sure of that.

So now she sat in the corner of their residence and simply let their warmth and joy surround her, slowly raising her spirits and helping her to forget about her problems.

"What's troublin' ya, lass?" She slowly turned her head to the side when she felt someone sit down beside her. Bofur's crazy eye brows were pulled down in a frown as he gazed at her sullen form, not used to seeing her looking so sad.

"Nothing, Master Bofur..." She replied quietly, turning away from him. She pulled her knees up to her chest before crossing her arms over the top. She let her chin rest atop her forearms, simply wanting to be left alone for awhile.

"That is nonsense and you know it!" Kili sat down on her other side as she had turned away from her friend with the crazy hat. She felt her eyebrow twitch in anger. These dwarves were becoming just as persistent as the twins. "You were so happy when we first arrived and now it looks like someone has kicked your pup!"

Ren ducked her head slightly but Kili kept his head even with her's, his lips pouted in an outrageous way as if trying to get her to smile. Ren couldn't help but roll her eyes. Only a child would do such a thing.

Feeling defeated, Bofur pouted himself and moved away to sit back down by his things. Kili continued to poke and prod at Ren, trying to get her stony demeanor to change.

Thorin was watching everything from the shadows in the terrace. The dwarf didn't have an inkling as to what made her so upset but he remembered the conversation he had to have with her.

He wanted an explanation to everything.

But his thoughts were pushed away when he heard the familiar clarinet music coming from Bofur himself. He blew away on the handcrafted instrument before he caught Kili's eye and winked. The younger dwarf caught his message and knew what was to occur.

With a wide smile, the dark haired dwarf pulled himself up off the ground and took Ren's hands into his own though unwillingly. He pulled on her long arms and she simply shook her head in an answer to his silent request to dance. But being a stubborn dwarf, he persisted enough to actually get her to stand up.

Doing so, he led her towards the fire where the dwarves had left plenty of room for dancing. For Kili could only guess that as light on her feet as she was, she had to be a good dancer.

Goading his brother into the plan as well, the two dwarves began to do a traditional dwarvish dance, nudging Ren every once and a while to try and get her to copy their movements. With a heavy sigh, Ren curtsied as she rolled her eyes. She supposed that she would have to give in eventually.

Watching the brothers move about the fire, her movements were a bit awkward at first as she began to copy them since she did not know the dance.

After a few minutes, she had the steps down and was calmly stepping to and fro between the brothers who smiled at each other across the fire. Without warning, Bofur decided that the beat needed to pick up and Balin joined in, playing his viola.

"What?" Ren asked as her head snapped to the side when the song picked up and soon Kili took hold of her hands and was twirling her about. She could only try and keep up with him, his feet moving remarkably fast for a dwarf.

He suddenly spun her away from himself before he let go and his brother took his place. Fili let out a bark of laughter before smiling widely at her. He took hold of her right hand before his hand placed itself on her waist and he was guiding her around the fire himself, being the more seasoned dancer than his brother. She had to look down at his feet to dry and keep up with him but it was all for naught as she was passed off to Kili once again.

Bombur had now joined in with a drum and Ren could actually step to the time of the drums. She had never implied that she couldn't dance. She just didn't know the dances the dwarves were stepping to.

"Kili..." She said quietly and the dwarf stopped smiling for a moment before looking up into her sapphire eyes. She didn't say another word as she let go of his hand and shoulder before stepping back slightly. Shutting her eyes, she smiled to herself and all the dwarves grew silent as they watched as she stood before the fire, waiting for the beat to hit again.

The clarinet stopped and viola stopped. Everyone held their breath, including Ren. Bombur still continued his solid beating on the drum. She slowly began to step and turn around the fire, her hips swaying side to side to the beat.

Then, Balin elbowed his gruff brother who cautiously reached for his own viola. Counting, the two brothers began to play, setting the girl into motion herself. At first it was slow, only a slightly faster turning, before she began to prance around the fire, much to the dwarves amazement.

She twirled gracefully and elegantly, her hair flipping about her shoulders as a large smile lit her face. The pain in her rib was gone in that moment, forgotten in her joy as she let her body move on its own accord. The music continued to pick up and she became so enthralled in the music that she even lept over the fire at one point, causing all the dwarves to gasp in amazement.

She was so graceful as she moved, for in that moment, Thorin could only watch in wonder as he anticipated her fluid movements. He was completely and utterly lost in the rhythm of the drums and how her feet never seemed to touch the ground. He watched her hair become a golden halo in the ring of firelight, making her look like some sort of creature born from the dancing flames themselves.

For she was astonishingly beautiful, none of the dwarves could deny that.

Kili could only stand off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, a triumphant smirk on his face. People should really listen to him more often. He was brilliant. But with a yell of surprise, the dark haired dwarf was pulled back into the wild dance, joining Ren around the fire who was now grinning madly. They also pulled Fili back into the dance before they managed to get Ori, Nori, and Dori to join though they grumbled for a long amount of time.

They continued to dance for the longest of times before the younger dwarves began to grow tired of the rapid dances and sat down until only Kili remained.

He and Ren slowly spun around the fire now, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist as he simply leaned on her. The dwarf let the comforting motion begin to lull him to sleep before Ren patted his shoulder. Fili pulled his brother away and the smaller dwarf could only sleepily smile at Ren before the blonde brother ushered him to his bedroll with a roll of his eyes.

Ren simply stood there for a moment, her eyes on the flames as she relished in the happier feelings that the dwarves had brought forth to warm her soul. A content smile pulled at her lips as her arms were wrapped around herself.

Maybe the days would no longer be so dark after all.

* * *

Bilbo groaned as he stretched out his sleep filled limbs. He was content to just lay in his makeshift bed for a while longer, the sun shinning down on him and warming his small form, dozing form.

Something beside him shifted before a solid blow was dealt to his face. With an quiet _omph!_ his eyes opened and he stared up at Kili who had been the one to assault his face with one of the various pillows that littered the floor of the terrace in place of mattresses.

"It's time to get up, sunshine! You've missed breakfast!" The dark haired dwarf beamed down at him as he sat up. The birds tweeted delightedly overhead as they flitted from tree branch to tree branch. In the distance, the roar of water could be heard as it rushed across smooth stones.

But as Bilbo lay staring up at the leaves overhead, he realized how high the sun was in the sky. It was almost to its highest peak.

"Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"We tried but you wouldn't wake up!" He said as he moved through the dwarves' supplies that was also strewn about, cloaks and blankets sprawled about across the pillows that were used as one large, makeshift bed.

"I was having the most wonderful dream..." The hobbit breathed as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his hair exceptionally curly.

"Oh yeah?"

"We were in Rivendell and the elves allowed me to use their library."

"Bilbo, we are in Rivendell." This caused the hobbit's brain to stall for a moment. He licked his lips before shaking his head as if he hadn't heard the dwarf correctly.

"Really?" He stuttered.

"If you don't believe me just look!" Kili pointed over the side of the terrace and when Bilbo climbed to his feet to look, his heart nearly stopped. They were in fact, still in Rivendell. Below in the busier parts of the settlement, elves walked about as they went about their day, completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched by two smaller folk.

Bilbo still couldn't really believe it. It had just seemed that everything was so perfect, like a dream. "But you don't have to worry because you're just in time for lunch!" Kili explained to him.

The dwarf beckoned him forward and led him to the same place where they had eaten the night before on the large terrace. The long table was still set out from the previous night and the rest of the dwarves were already seated in the same spots as before and Bilbo took up his spot beside Balin before Kili joined his blonde brother.

After a few minutes had passed, it appeared as though Lord Elrond and Gandalf were not going to be eating with them that afternoon. Once again though, the hobbit noticed that Ren was late as she had been the night before. Thorin also quietly took note of this as he sat in his chair across from her own place, his hand stroking his beard in thought.

There was suddenly a loud ruckus that could be heard echoing down the hallway leading to the dinning terrace. She was laughing loudly as she was shoved onto the terrace, nearly stumbling, and being followed by three very rowdy boys. All four of them were chattering rapidly in the Elvish tongue and Ren was then sandwiched in between the twins as they approached the table, the happiest smile any of the dwarves had ever seen on her face.

She was dressed similarly as the night before in a pair of brown breeches and her tunic had changed to a light green color. Her fingerless gloves had been replaced, as were her braucers, and the underpart of her hair was dampened with sweat.

When Thorin turned his eyes to the third male he did not know, he also noticed that he was just as sweaty as the female. One could only conclude that they had been sparing early that morning for he had noticed that she was missing from the their terrace in the morning when he had awoken. She also had not been at breakfast.

The twin elves took Elrond's place at the head of the table and the third boy simply sat quietly beside Ren, his blue eyes gazing wide eyed at the rest of the members of the Company. The female simply sat down in her own chair crossing her legs with a sigh as they waited for their food.

"You need to work on your archery skills, _toror_'..." One of the twin elves said as they sat back in their high backed chairs. The dark haired boy just frowned before his eyes darted sideways to the woman sitting next to him.

"Be quiet, _amada_! Ren beat you just as much as she did me!" He barked right back at the elves who only snickered but said nothing of the matter again. The elves also gazed around the table, taking in the sight of dwarves for the first time. Or rather, the second time considering they had seen them all at dinner the night before but for a very brief time.

"So, you're Thorin Oakenshield?" One of the twins asked as an elf set a plate of food down before him as he had taken in the brooding dwarf beside them, only guessing that he was Thorin, considering that he looked the most angry of them all.

"Yes." The dwarf replied as his own food was brought before him. "But I'm afraid that I've never had the pleasure of meeting you three..." He glowered slightly at the four across from him. Ren just swallowed nervously.

"Our apologies. I'm Elladan-"

"And I'm Elrohir!"

"No, no, no..." Ren waved her hand about as the two elves spoke. They were rather tricky boys and she didn't want the dwarf to get confused although the two elves looked and acted nearly the same. "That one is Elrohir..." She pointed at the first one who spoke who was smiling deviously. "And that one is Elladan!" She clarified and the two pouted, their lips sticking out slightly.

"You're no fun, _atara_..." They murmured sarcastically at the same time as they began to poke at their food. Ren could only roll her eyes as she also began to poke at her food.

"Don't mind them. They are only trouble." This caused Thorin to chuckle slightly before his leaned forward and looked down the table to find his own troublesome nephews cautiously poking at their fish as if they suspected the elves had poisoned it.

"But you love us!" Elrohir chimed and Ren rolled her eyes again.

"That can be debated." She murmured, taking a bit of her own fish.

"Then it seems as though trouble only travels in pairs..." He mused and she also looked down the table to find Kili and Fili conversing about the fish before the blonde brother simply picked up the slippery creature and took a bite out of it. Apparently he deemed it safe and his younger brother followed suit.

"And what is you're name, young man?" Thorin asked as they all began to dine on their meal of cooked fish.

Ren nearly dropped her fork before all their eyes darted up to the youngest member sitting at their end of the table. The dark haired boy was about to open his mouth when she decided to speak for him. "His name is Estel!" She interrupted and he shot her a sideways look. She knew he was about to tell Thorin his real name. She knew that it would have eventually been a mistake.

Aragorn needed to be kept secret and safe for as long as possible. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he left.

She just twitched her eyebrow in response to his silent question and the boy grew quiet before beginning to poke at his own plate of fish as if it were the most interesting thing in Middle Earth.

Thorin also noticed this but said nothing as he began to eat his meal. The conversation at the table then dropped down to only quiet words passed between the certain groups of dwarves.

"So what's a human boy like you doing in a colony of elves?" Thorin continued on with his questioning of Estel, finding the boy to be just as confusing as Ren in manor. The younger boy stopped chewing his food for a moment before looking over at Ren as if in need for confirmation.

"I used to live up in the Northern lands but my village was attacked by a band of Orcs. My mother and I fled while my father perished in battle. We have lived here every since under the protection of Lord Elrond and his people."

"And your mother, why is she not at lunch with us?"

"After my father died, she has lost her love of life. She hardly cares for human interaction anymore. On a good day, she will actually say my name." Estel then grew quiet as he poked at his fish on his plate.

Ren suddenly felt her heart sink in her chest and she reached out to take hold of Estel's hand.

"_It has gotten worse_?" The two began to converse in Elvish which only caused the dwarf to frown slightly yet he watched as their faces were affected by many emotions. Ren's features mostly held looks of sadness while Estel was mostly solemn as he spoke with the woman about what, he did not know.

"_She does not talk much anymore_." This caused the woman to pause for a moment.

"_Then, I shall visit her. Would you think that it would brighten her day to see me_?"

"_It may. She talked about you for many months after you left_." Ren had nothing else to say after that, feeling the depressive feelings coming over her once again. It seemed as though her leaving Rivendell in the first place had brought nothing but dark times for both her and her family.

Their end of the table fell into silence as they all continued to eat their meal.

However, the quiet would not last much longer, seeing as how Elrohir nudged Elladan underneath the table who in return grinned deviously as they formed an evil plan. If Ren had introduced them as troublemakers, then they would be troublemakers. They could see the tension that was continuously passing between Ren and Thorin after she had ceased speaking Elvish just then.

And they decided to make it just a little worse.

Ren's eyes were continuously focused down on the food before her while Thorin chewed his meal while watching her, his eyes never straying from her form.

"So, Mister Thorin, sir..." They watched as the dwarf turned his eyes away from their friend who had just picked up her silver cup to take a long drink of whatever the elves had placed before her. Smiling as she raised it to her lips, the twins bided their time and waited to strike for the opportune moment.

"Did you know that our lovely lady, Ren here finds your behavior _sweet_?" Elladan asked him. The aforementioned woman sputtered into her cup before she lowered her cup from her lips and she turned to look at the twins in disbelief before her cheeks blazed red before her eyes flashed to Thorin.

"Excuse me?" Thorin asked, swearing that he had not heard their words correctly. Ren thought of him as _sweet_?

The table suddenly shifted before Elladan jumped before cringing in pain as he was kicked beneath the tabletop. The elf shot Ren a look of worry before he looked back to Thorin, knowing what he had to do so that serious consequences would not occur later in the day when the dwarf was not around and he was left alone with Ren.

"Uh... He said that he heard you dwarves like... _meat_!" Estel covered for the worrying elf who send him a look of thanks. Ren would have surely killed him should Thorin had actually heard what he had said. Instead, Ren simply sat back in her chair, her cheeks still ablaze. At least, Estel cared about her enough to cover her rear. For that conversation was about to become very uncomfortable should it have progressed any further.

Thorin was still completely baffled by the elf's words. Of course dwarves liked meat. It was common knowledge. Surely everyone in Middle Earth knew that.

"Lady Ren?" Someone called her name and she looked back over her shoulder to find the elf that had called for her attention.

"Yes, Lindir?" She sat forward in her chair slightly and the rest of the Company had grown quiet upon having the elf interrupt their lovely dinner conversation. He just looked at the dwarves nervously for a moment before looking back at her.

"Someone requests your presence, my lady." Something close to worry flashed in her eyes.

"Who?"

"Saruman the White wishes to speak with you." The blonde girl sighed before bowing her head. She then raised her eyes to gaze at the sun that was only just reaching its highest peak in the night sky. She stood up from her seat beside Estel.

"Very well." The elf began to lead her off and Thorin watched her go from his chair. He wondered where she was wandering off to before she disappeared from sight yet it did nothing for his mind. He only could continue to wonder about her until she would return.

* * *

Her feet carried her back down the dark walk, her face solemn as she ran a hand through her still soft hair.

That encounter had all been very uncomfortable. The light and happy feeling from the night before was utterly extinguished now and it felt as though the darkness was only growing thicker as she walked along. The weight of the entire world seemed to rest upon her shoulders once again, threatening to crush her very well-being.

Not to mention the meeting had taken a nearly an hour and she had also been crying for the entire afternoon as she hid away in one of the rafters of the high Elvish towers where she had found a place where she could be alone.

It had happened a lot in the past when she had first came to Rivendell. The elves had wanted her to speak about her feelings and she refused, instead choosing to hide away and deal with her emotions in solitude.

It was now getting late at night and the moon was nearing its peak. People were probably worried senseless about her. She could really care less. She had her own problems to worry about.

From within the shadows surrounding her, she could see a fire from the dwarves flickering ahead and just as she was about to walk into the ring of light, a hand reached out from the dark hallway beside her.

It grabbed her upper arm and yanked her into the shadows of the hall. She reached up and tried to pry the fingers around her bicep away as she gritted her teeth due to the pain radiating from the focus points where the fingers dug into her skin. She couldn't see the person pulling her through the nearly impossible dark corridor until they reemerged onto the ledge in the cliff where they had discussed the moon runes though she had already guessed who had taken her away from the Company.

Thorin reeled around to face her, his anger spilling out of every pore of his body. He took a deep breath before he readied himself to relinquish the imaginary fire that threatened to spill from his lips.

"Would you care to share some information about the situation?" His voice was unnervingly quiet as he spoke his words, his voice wavering slightly with anger. She only looked at him, a strange and dull look in her normally sparkling blue eyes. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I have nothing to say." She said quietly, her eyes looking down at the ground and off to the side in a submissive way that made his chest swell in pride yet it angered him to no end. If he was speaking, the least she could do was look at him.

"Then just explain to me why you can speak Elvish... " He breathed out in anger again. She only blinked, still not meeting his eyes.

"As I said before, one must learn what they must to survive. Elrond offered me sanctuary when no other would. I learned Elvish to fit in with the rest of the people here. So forgive me for wanting to live as normal of a life that I could afford..." She walked towards the edge of the cliff, sticking her hand out into one of the streams of water falling from above. "Life in Imladris was simple. I went about my days in an effortless manner. The elves did not bother me and I them. We were in a peaceful coexistence. They did not question me despite what terrors lay in my wake..." Thorin's eyes flickered up to look at her.

That dead look was still in them. There was no angry spark whatsoever. It was almost as if she were reliving whatever haunting past she had right before his very eyes.

"Then what of... Gondor and Rohan?" She laughed but it was without humor.

"Gondor was only a distraction. Another _adventure_, I suppose. The White City was to be a place of hope, something that I needed greatly. And well, I would have stayed in Rohan for eternity but all good things must come to and end sooner or later, I suppose..." She murmured yet she felt as if she was going to lose this fight in the end if she continued to reveal more information. She took a moment to gather her thoughts back up before beginning again. "Master Oakenshield... Before this journey began, you told Balin in Bilbo's home that all you asked for was loyalty, honor, and a willing heart..."

She finally looked up at him with her empty blue irises. He slowly nodded his head before his hand reached up to stroke his beard.

"Do I not possess these qualities?"

This caused Thorin to stall for a moment as she shot his own words back at him and he struggled to find anything to say. "I... You-" He stopped after a moment before he closed his eyes with a sigh. He slowly nodded his head again.

"Then why do you continue to question _me_? Why does my past matter _so_ much to _you_?" She asked him and in her eyes, he could see the spark begin to return, only it was angry. She was _angry_ with him.

And when the dwarf thought about her words, he had to stop. Who was _he_ to question her past?

Surely it brought up memories that she wished to be rid of yet he continued to pry and bring them to the surface, merely holding them in the forefront of her mind. She wished to leave her past behind, as did he.

They finally had a common ground. They wished to be rid of their memories and nightmares. And maybe they could do that once they reclaimed the mountain.

"I am sorry." She stopped to look up from the seething she had been doing by the stone crystal where Elrond and Gandalf had stood not long ago. Had she just heard him correctly?

"_Excuse_ me?"

"I said I am sorry. For ever questioning you about your life. That is your business and your business alone. It was not my place to do so and for that, I apologize. I promise it will not happen again." He bowed his head slightly to show that he was humbling himself. Ren only looked at the dwarf as if he had gone completely mad. She took a few, uncertain steps forward.

"Y-You're apologizing? To me?" She blinked a few times, trying to get the concept to successfully pass through her brain.

"Yes."

"Then apology not accepted." Thorin looked up in shock, anger flashing through his eyes again. "For, I believe that our first meeting was a bit strained. So if we may, to better the both of ourselves and the rest of the Company, can we simply start again?" She asked, her eyes taking on a warmer glow again as she hoped for the best.

Thorin straightened up from his slightly bowed position and cleared his throat before he adjusted his vest and tunic. "Very well."

"I am... Ren." She said simply. Thorin waited with baited breath for the rest of her introduction, anxious to hear her place of birth and her parentage. However, her eyes held a bit of mischief as he looked up into them. And then he realized. She was testing him of his most recent apology.

"Thorin Oakenshield, at your service, my lady." He replied with a bob of his head before he carefully reached out and took her hand into his own. Raising it to his lips, he placed a slow kiss upon the remarkably soft skin, only to look up and find an expectant look in her eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No, the pleasure is all mine, my lady."

"I hear you are going on a dangerous quest to Erebor to slay the dragon and take back your mountain."

"You heard correct, my lady."

"And it is safe to assume that you wish for me to continue with you on this quest and ask me to leave a place of safety to embark on this _adventure_ of your's in the dead of night?"

He blinked in confusion, the slightly angry tone come back into her voice. "I never said that we were leaving-"

"I have already spoken with Gandalf of the matter. I know you intend to escape through the mountain paths to continue on your way."

"You sound as though you wish to stay with the elves." She grew silent at that and she turned away from him, not wanting him to see the uncertain look in her eyes. Her hand came to lay on the large crystal towards the edge of the ridge again. "Would you stay?" He asked quietly, stepping towards her. She said nothing again.

"Only if you did not want me in your Company any longer." The dwarf rolled her words around in his head for a moment, his hands clasping behind his back.

Together, they stared up at the crescent moon for what felt like eternity before Thorin decided to speak, his once bitter feelings towards the woman changing.

"You have been and always will be welcome in my Company."

She turned to look at him, her blue eyes wide. She hadn't ever expected to hear those words _ever_ escape his mouth. The dwarf lord himself turned to look at her, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

"But I have one condition..." He continued and she nodded her head, motioning for him to continue. "You have to promise that you will be more careful." He smiled slightly, knowing that she was nearly the opposite of careful. It seemed as though danger was a regular occurrence with the female.

Ren only sighed through her nose before her lips turned up slightly in a charade of fake innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about..." She chuckled slightly before turning to look back at him.

"I'm sure you don't." He jested right back. Ren smiled to herself before looking down to the ground where her new boots still clung to her slim feet. She kicked at a stone and sent it tumbling over the side of the cliff and plummeting into the water far below.

"So, it is settled... We need to leave."

"What do you suggest?" She paused for a moment as her thoughts began to race. The earlier it got in the morning, the greater the chance that they would be caught. As if that chance wasn't high enough already.

"Our best chance would be to leave under the cover of darkness. We can use the shadows to our advantage. So, now." She turned and left the dwarf standing by the cliffside.

"Wait, what? You mean... We're leaving now? In this particular moment?" He was taken aback by her abrupt change of mood.

"Elves are suspicious creatures, Thorin Oakenshield. If we wish to escape, which I know you wish to do, we need to huwho land leave while it is still dark!" She threw over her shoulder.

"But what of your... family here?" He yelled back, remembering the twin elves and the dark haired boy he had saw with her earlier.

"I will see them again before I reach the end of my days..." She replied nonchalantly before continuing back towards the exit. For the moment, the dwarf chose to ignore her dark words. He was about to interject but then decided against it, remembering his apology.

Thorin quickly walked after her, his shorter legs struggling to keep up with her longer ones. He now knew how Bungo felt next to her long legged steed. It was miserable.

"You won't be missed?"

"They are elves. They have all eternity to wait and we do not! Let us depart!"

"You're sure you know a way out of Rivendell?"

"Master Oakenshield, I escaped from Riveldell once. I'm sure that I can do it again." Ren could only smile slightly, finding it strange how similar the situation was to the last time she was in Imladris.

* * *

Peering around the corner of the building, Ren darted out into the ever lightening hallway, thirteen dwarves and a hobbit following close behind her. It was still dark but it was nearing dawn as they fled through the quiet elvish settlement and Thorin could only trust in Ren's knowledge of her once home.

As they rounded another corner, a hand shot out and hauled Thorin back behind her, the dwarf protesting quietly the entire way. He was about to snap at her when he stopped upon hearing voices echoing down the hallway.

Turning back to face the group, she pointed backwards and they all complied before moving back into the darker shadows to try and hide.

A troop of elves passed and Ren's blue eyes narrowed on them as she held her breath. Waiting until they were passed, Thorin was about to step forward when she held her hand out before him.

"Wait." She told him quietly, knowing that there was a good chance that there were guards posted upon the roofs of the elvish buildings.

Crouching low to the ground, she darted out into the lighted courtyard until she was concealed by shadows once again. Diving into the shade of a tree, her sharp eyes scanned the dark rooftops. She only caught sight of one of the guards and her mind reeled as she wondered how she would get out of this situation.

Suddenly, off in the distance, something metallic crashed to the ground and copious amounts of panicked Elvish could be heard. But then she watched as two very familiar forms ran through the shadows, shouting in fear of themselves being caught.

Ren could only smile at the thought of the scolding that Elladan and Elrohir would receive when they were found and depending on what they had broken. As the two noisily ran by, it attracted the guard's attention and he shouted a warning in Elvish before disappearing.

Finding that their escape had just become easier, she motioned for the dwarves to follow behind her. Thorin ushered everyone forward after meeting Ren's gaze.

Once they had crossed the open courtyard, they had once again reached a dark set of hallways. As they entered a dimly lit corridor, Thorin could only follow behind Ren seeing how, the space was only wide enough for one person to walk through.

He nearly ran into her when she suddenly stopped as they stepped out into the lightening surroundings. She teetered on the edge of a cliff that dropped down for what seemed like forever, the small stones at her toes being pushed over the edge and falling to oblivion. She leaned back into him to get him to move so that she could step around the gaping hole.

Quickly stepping to the side, Thorin followed her lead, as did the rest of the dwarves who quietly mumbled about if the woman knew her way around as well as she had told them beforehand.

"That cliff was not there the last time you visited?" He rumbled from behind her and she only glanced back over her shoulder at him, an amused look on her face as she stepped along the stone path.

"As a matter of fact, no. We still had a few feet before we actually fell last time I left Rivendell..." She explained and the corners of his lips turned up once again.

The blonde woman lead them through the rocky terrain. She hurried them along, wanting to put as much distance between Rivendell and their Company as possible. She only hoped that Gandalf could keep the elves busy for that long, knowing that their absence wouldn't be hard to miss.

When she glanced back, Thorin had stopped and was waiting for the other dwarves to pass so he could take up the rear. For the first time in awhile, he actually trusted her to lead them safely through the mountains.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up." He warned the hobbit who had merely stopped to take one last look at Rivendell.

The Company continued forward with Ren at the point, seeing as how she was the only one who knew the way. However, the dwarves could now be carefree in their actions, knowing that they would not have to watch her to make sure she stayed on the correct path. They without a doubt, trusted her.

Her blue eyes sparkled with joy as she took in the lovely sights around them, her memory having forgotten of the grandeur of the mountainous region in which they traveled.

Eventually, the small path they were traveling on widened out and the dwarves were glad of that. Teetering on the small paths on the mountains was nerve racking beyond belief.

The stones eventually became a dry, golden grass as they came across a flatter part of their journey. This continued sight quickly became regular on their journey as three more days passed.

Although each day was as cheerful as the next, seeing as how they were free from the rules of Imladris and they had plenty of stolen food that could be passed around. Ren had been kind enough to show them the location of the no-longer-secret kitchen which was filled with the wonderful smells of rich deserts and soft breads.

They never ran into any other orcs during their travels between Rivendell and the Misty Mountains so the danger was at a new low. The most exciting thing that happened in those three days only consisted of a rabbit jumping from the bushes and scaring Dwalin out of his mind.

Of course, the rabbit was not alive for much longer and soon became part of their dinner that same night due to the sheer embarrassment that the warrior was now facing.

As they continued across the mountainous land between Rivendell and the Lonely Mountain, the Company's feet began to drag though from the long hours of walking. Their backs were heavy with the supplies that they carried.

Ren herself even was weighed down with her own sack of supplies. On her person, she carried with her satchel, her bedroll, a bag with the contents of all her saddlebags, and a pack for food that was still full despite the fact that the Company had been free of civilization for days.

She, however, continued to trek on, knowing that they still needed to put distance between themselves and the elves that could quite possibly be following them.

At the beginning of the fourth day, they passed back into the shadow of the Misty Mountains. Some of the dwarves were grumbling about having to walk on the slim paths again but traveling in the mountains also provided some relief to the group.

At least it was shady and there were plenty of fresh creeks to drink from as they brought rain water down from the top of the mountain, at least giving them a solid drinking source.

Yet, that did not mean danger was ever present and Ren was completely aware of that fact and prayed that they made it through the mountains safely.

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review!**

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**Love, **

**Blue**

**P.S. Keep up the good work readers and stay tuned!**

**P.S.S. The song that I imagined Ren dancing to was Promontory from Last of the Mohicans. There is also a great violinist named Taylor David who does a wonderful cover of it. Go listen. **


	12. Chapter 12

As they entered upon the slim path that ran along the length of the mountain, thunder began to rumble and lightning flickered across the sky. Ren's eyes directed themselves up towards the heavens wearily.

The last thing they needed when grossing the mountain was rain.

Thorin had taken up point himself and Ren had drifted back to the center of the group, wanting to keep an eye on little Bilbo. He wasn't used to carrying his own heavy pack and the last few days had been long.

Rain soon began to spray into their faces as they inched along the mountain side. Immediately becoming soaked, a frown marred Ren's face and she drew the hood of her cloak up around her ears in an attempt to keep herself dry and warm.

Hearing a yelp before her, her hand shot out of instinct and she latched onto Bilbo as he slipped on a loose rock. Catching her off balance, his extra weight was about to pull her over the cliff but Dwalin was luckily behind her. Latching onto her quiver which was strapped to her body, her body was leaned out over the cliff side. Her boots were the only thing still in contact with the mountain. With her knees locked, the rest of her body was also straightened out.

Bilbo let out a yell as Ren gazed down at him, her blue eyes wide. She had a tight grip on his belt that was luckily keeping his waistcoat closed around his front.

Dwalin grunted as he held onto her and it wasn't a moment later that a number of dwarves let out cries of fear and lept forward to pull them back to the safety of the mountain path. Bofur also took hold of her shoulder and Kili reached out and grabbed a hold of Bilbo to pull him back onto solid ground.

Falling back, Dwalin caught her and made sure that she was steady before he released the tight grip he had on her shoulders.

"Th-Thank you, Dwalin." She managed to stutter out.

"No problem, lass..." He patted her solidly on the shoulder, leaving his hand there longer than necessary in a silent gesture that he truly was worried for her safety. She suddenly had the thought that Thorin may have had a word with the dwarvish warrior and this caused her to frown. She didn't need the entire Company worry about her now.

Thorin came back around the corner upon hearing the ruckus. "What happened?" He asked upon seeing the wild looks in all his Company member's eyes. He took a silent count of heads and found that they were all present. Seeing Ren looking rather frazzled, he made eye contact with her.

"Nothing. The rocks are a bit slippery is all." She told him once she organized her thoughts properly and managed to find her voice. His eyes passed back over his Company, choosing not to question her about what had really just occurred.

He needed to keep his promise to her. He needed to try and trust her.

"You heard her. Watch your footing and move on!" He only caught Ren's eye once more before he turned back and began to follow the path once again. They continued on for another few hours or so before the rain really picked up and the wind howled as it pushed passed them, threatening to pull them from the side of the mountain.

"We need to find shelter!" Thorin shouted over the roar of the rain. Ren's ears easily picked up his voice over the rumble of thunder though she noted to herself that they were very similar.

"There should be a cave coming up ahead!" She shouted back as she grabbed a hold of her hood to keep it covering her head. But it was really all for naught, seeing as how her hair had been soaked ever since it had begun to rain.

"Look out!" Dwalin called from behind her as he pointed up to the heavens. They looked up into the sky to see a huge boulder flying towards them. It crashed into the mountain side above them, sending down a shower of sharp rocks towards them. They all pressed up against the side of the mountain in fear of being hit with the sharp stones.

"This is no thunderstorm!" Balin called from the back of the group. "This is a thunder battle! Look!" He pointed and the Company watched as the mountain across the way suddenly moved to reveal a large human-like figure made of stone.

"Well bless me, the legends are true! _Giants_! _Stone giants_!" Bofur cried as the giant hurled another boulder in their direction. It flew over their heads to smash into another giant that emerged behind them, none of them having noticed it before.

Thorin shouted something in dwarvish and Ren was suddenly pushed back against the mountain by Fili who made her duck down so that he could shield her head from any stray stones. They pulled apart and he sent her a worried look before both their eyes flickered down to the mountainside that was crumbling beneath their feet.

The mountain started to groan and move and a crack began to develop between Kili and Fili. "Grab my hand!" The older brother shouted to his sibling but the gap was already too large for them to cross and the blonde dwarf nearly fell.

Ren yanked him back and it broke her heart to see the two brothers get separated. Never in all their years had they been apart like this in such a dangerous situation. They had always been together. Through the thick and thin.

Hearing his nephews cry out, Thorin looked back to see that his group was separated. As if on instinct, his eyes found Ren's through all the chaos. They only were locked for a moment before she vanished as the mountainside passed between them.

That was all he saw of his group.

Bilbo looked up to the mountainside above them to see that they were in fact standing on the legs of a stone giant and it caused her heart to sink. They were perched upon its knees and when it moved, it nearly knocked them over.

Another stone giant crashed into the one they were standing on and they all fell backwards onto the stone wall behind them. Ren happened to glance up and see the other half of their group go soaring passed them as the giant struggled to stay upright. The knee they were standing on lurched forward and her blood ran cold upon seeing the stone mountain coming closer and closer to them.

As the other group's leg crashed into the sharp stones, Thorin felt time slow.

"NO!" He shouted as the rain continued to beat down upon what remained of their now tiny group. The rest of the stone giant fell away down into the nothingness and the rest of the Company rushed around the corner, all of them shouting in terror for fear that they had lost their friends and family.

"Fili!" Thorin shouted and when he came around the corner, he felt his heartbeat return to slightly more normal rate. Lying sprawled about on the ground, the rest of his Company lay.

He couldn't but smile widely, his eyes easily finding his nephew's blonde head in the small crowd, right beside the second blonde head that belonged in his Company.

Ren's face was covered in mud as she helped to pull his sister's son from the ground. She patted him off, asking him if he were alright. He could only nod and smile slightly at her, his own face freshly coated in mud and grime.

"Fili!" Came his brother's shrill cry. Looking passed the blonde woman's shoulder, Kili came running around the corner, his voice filled with fear. His brown eyes lit up when he found his best friend and brother alive and well. Fili looked back to Ren who only patted him on the shoulder, giving him the permission to go after she had checked to see that he wasn't wounded.

The two brothers quickly walked towards one another before embracing tightly.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Kili scolded as he clutched onto his older brother, his face burying into Fili's damp jacket as he now committed the smell to memory should anything every cause them to separate again.

"I won't, Kili... I promise I won't..." The blonde murmured, squeezing his brother back just as tightly before slowly releasing his baby brother. Kili looked over his brother's shoulder at Ren before a large smile overtook his face.

"And come here you!" Ren didn't move as the dwarf approached her before he wrapped his arms around her middle. The female just stood there for a moment before she looked down at the dwarf and hugged him back, slowly placing her hands around his smaller body, placing her cheek upon the top of his wet head.

"You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for taking care of my brother." He whispered to her before squeezing her more.

"It wasn't a problem, Kili." She breathed back, relishing in the feel of her first form of physical contact from one of the Company members. It had taken so long and so much to bring them together like they were now.

When they pulled back, one corner of her lip turned up in a slight smile, her hands still on Kili's shorter shoulders.

"Where's Bilbo?!" Bofur suddenly cried and with her sharp hearing, Ren heard struggling just to the side of her. Glancing down at the cliff side, she watched as the hobbit's hand slipped from the rock he had just had a hold on.

"_BILBO_!" Ren shrieked as she dove after him. She was able to catch a hold of his wrist, yet she didn't have anything to hang onto and so she went over the side of the cliff once again.

With a hiss of pain, she felt rock cut into her skin as she tightly gripped onto a stone that jutted out from the side of the mountain. Blood began to trip down her arm from her wounded hand, causing the rock to grow even slicker if possible. She hadn't worn her leather gloves for fear that she would rub her wrists raw in the rain.

Wet leather and skin did not mix as she had learned in the past.

The hobbit whimpered as his one hand tightly gripped onto Ren's hand and she hissed in pain, her eyes closing as she focused on keeping a tight grip on the stone. The rib she had bruised during the Warg battle was being stretched and it wasn't the most pleasurable feeling in the world.

Gathering what strength was left in her body, she grunted as she hoisted Bilbo upward. The dwarves above her caught hold of him and easily pulled him up. Now Ren was in a sticky situation. Any moment, she felt as though the rock was going to fall away from the mountain.

Glancing around, she caught sight of another extended ledge across the way but she would have to jump as a last attempt to save herself. Bringing her feet up to her chest, she kicked off the stone beneath her boots and sailed through the air.

All the dwarves held their breath.

With an amazing amount of skill and just plain luck, her good hand caught hold of the other stone. However, her muscles were quickly tiring from having to hold both herself and the hobbit up.

"Come on." She looked to find Thorin above her, holding his hand down to her. She only looked at it for a moment as the lightning and thunder rolled around them, her rib causing a streak of pain to go shooting through her side. "Come on, Ren! Don't give up on me!" His baritone voice was hard with frustration towards her. They had already made it so far, he wasn't going to just have her quit now.

For a moment, she simply looked up into his eyes and Thorin saw something completely different than what he normally did and it caused his brain to stall out of confusion.

Weakness. He had seen a weak side to her. Almost a childish side. But it only lingered for a moment.

The weakness, however, was quickly gone and her face took on a look of hard determination. Saving up the last of her strength, she used her legs to propel herself upward and a determined growl escaped her throat.

Her bad hand latched around Thorin's forearm and once she had a hold of him, he grabbed her wounded hand with his other one and with a roar of exertion, he hauled her upward, knowing that her strength would not last much longer.

Dwalin was by Thorin's side in the moment, helping him to pull Ren to safety by taking hold of her other arm. The three of them fell back onto the wet mountain stones, all of them panting heavily from the experience that they had just had. Ren simply lay her face down onto the wet stones, letting the cold seep into her aching muscles.

"I thought we had lost our burglar!" Dwalin muttured as he patted Ren's back once again in appreciation. This was the second time she'd saved the hobbit in one day but he had a feeling that someone would be in hot water with their Leader before the night was upon them.

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should have never come. He has no place amongst us..." Thorin replied coldly before looking back at Ren. Her left sleeve was now stained red with blood from her hand. That same hand was clutching to her side as she braced herself on all fours, well, all threes as she struggled to control her breathing.

She grimaced as she inhaled deeply and her side throbbed painfully. Lightning flashed overhead and she looked up to see a hand offered down to her. Looking up at Thorin momentarily, she could only ready herself for the pain as she used her good hand to tightly grasp hold of his forearm.

Being wary of her side, he pulled her from the ground and her balance wavered momentarily. Placing his other hand on her upper arm, he helped to steady her before she lifted her tired blue eyes to scan the group.

Thirteen dwarves and one hobbit were all accounted for. Her job was once again done.

"Dwalin!" Thorin motioned to the cave in the side of the mountain. The large dwarf lumbered forward into the dry cave, Thorin keeping a tight grasp on Ren who was still looking weak. He carefully guided her into the cave, also wary of any creatures that decided to take up residence in the dry shelter as well.

"Looks safe enough!" Dwalin's voice echoed throughout the dry residence.

"Search the back. Caves in the mountain are seldom unoccupied." Thorin commanded as he turned back to Ren. With his eyes, he asked if she was well and she slowly nodded her head, deciding that she was well enough to stand on her own.

He released her arm before stepping back slightly, only risking her a small glance of mild worry before following in Dwalin's footsteps. The blonde woman then moved to the side so that the rest of the dwarves could get out of the harsh weather.

"There's nothing here!" Dwalin reported as he once again wondered about the small cave.

As the rest of the Company filed in, Gloin dumped a bundle of dry firewood onto the stone floor. "Alright, then! Let's get a fire going!" He rubbed his hands together and none of the Company objected to the matter of heating. Save one.

"No. No fires. Not in this place." Thorin commanded as he walked through the group, checking to make sure that everyone and everything was accounted for. "Get some sleep, we start at first light!"

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joins us..." Balin insisted.

"That was the plan." Ren murmured before she groaned as she lowered herself onto a nearby boulder where she would try to rest. She took out the handkerchief that Bilbo had given her after the incident with the river and scrubbed at her muddy face.

"Plans change." He told the both of them. "Bofur, take the first watch!" He commanded the dwarf with the silly hat and he could only comply with his leader's wishes. The rest of the dwarves began to drop like flies as the exhaustion began to set into their bodies.

The adrenaline from the thunder battle was gone and the wetness of their clothes was also dampening their once chipper spirits. Each member of the Company began to prepare for sleep, most of them simply choosing to sleep in the clothes that they were wearing, for they were too exhausted to change, not to mention that the rest of their clothes were most likely wet from the rain.

They sat up for awhile, sharing a few thick elvish loaves of bread amongst themselves. Ren accepted the bread without much protest, her bad hand still clutched to her chest as she nibbled on the still soft bread despite the fact that it had been days since they left Rivendell.

Shortly after she was finished, a hand was placed upon her shoulder and she looked up to find Bifur looking down at the sore wound stretched across the palm of her hand. He let out a gruff string of dwarvish words before nodding towards her hand. He then lowered a bowl into her lap before saying something else in the ancient language before dunking her fingers into the rain water in an attempt to communicate.

"For my hand?" She asked him and he let out a gruff bark with a nod. "Thank you, Bifur..." She said quietly before smiling at the dwarf who's eyes seemed to soften slightly. He only muttered something else before moving away to sit beside his cousins.

She looked down into the perfectly clear water before she reached for her still remarkably dry satchel. Rummaging around inside, she found what she was looking for. Dumping some of the strange green powder into the rain water, she waited a moment and held her breath before submerging her hand under the surface.

Letting out a hiss of pain, she felt the powerful herb begin to work its magic. All the dwarves watched out of the corner of their eyes as she simply waited another minute or two before she reached back into her satchel.

Pulling out a piece of cloth, she ripped a strip free before dipping it into the herbal water. Taking her hand out, she wrapped the now damp cloth around her wound before she retrieved a roll of bandages from one of her other packs and wrapped it around the damp cloth to hold the medicine-soaked cloth in place.

However, she was having difficulties tying the bandage together but she quickly stopped when a pair of small hands took the cloth into their fingers and finished the knot before adding another for precautions. Ren's eyes widened in surprise upon finding the hobbit before herself. He examined d the bandages before he sat back on his heels and looked at her.

"I never got to thank you for saving me." Ren only looked from his face back to her hand, not saying a word. "Twice." He added and she couldn't help but smile slightly. She looked back up at him before sighing through her nose.

"It wasn't a problem, Master Baggins..." She patted him on the shoulder but he shook his head.

"No, it-it was a problem. You shouldn't have risked your life to save me. I'm only a hob-"

"Bilbo Baggins, do not tell me that you are only a hobbit. You are just as important to this Company as the rest of us are..." They sat quietly for a moment and she simply looked at the wrappings on her hand. "You may doubt yourself and all that you're worth. You may feel like you don't belong with us. But don't you dare for one second think that.. Courage can often be found during the strangest of times, my good hobbit. You just have yet to find that time."

She patted him on the shoulder before standing to move to the place where she had left her bedroll and other possessions. The hobbit just watched her go, Ren's words still fresh in his mind.

It wasn't long before the group began to sag under the weight of sleep and most of them headed for bed, wanting to get a few extra hours of sleep before they started the next day.

Yet their was one member of the odd Company that found it difficult to even find a way to sit. And it was her constant grumbling and cursing that keep a few of the dwarves and hobbit awake. After an hour or so passed, the curly haired creature sat up, a slightly irritated look upon his face.

He looked over to Ren to see her trying to get comfortable against one of the walls of the cave, only for her to reach up under her shirt and grasp her side with her bad hand as another hiss of pain escaped her throat and her eyes clamped shut.

"Is there something the matter?" Thorin's voice echoed throughout the cave, clearly annoyed with Ren's incessant noises of pain just as everyone was.

"Yes." She hissed back.

"And that is?" He grumbled right back as he lay staring up at the ceiling of the cave.

"I need to re-wrap my side."

"Then why not re-wrap it?" His tone was biting.

"I'm in a cave full of dwarves..."

"So?"

"So, you're asking me to take my tunic off in front of them then?" The thunder rolling outside was the only noise that inhabited the cave. All was silent for a moment before, simultaneously, all the dwarves sat up upon hearing her words.

Ren couldn't help but smirk slightly when Thorin glared daggers at her from his own place. Yet, from what she could tell, his cheeks were blazing red underneath his dark beard.

"I did not say that."

"But to re-wrap my side, that is what must happen. Now, someone help me up!" She commanded before Fili got up from the floor. His brother quickly joined him and each brother took one of her hands and slowly pulled her up from the ground. Kili bent down and picked up her bag before handing it to her. She slowly yet surely made her way towards the back of the cave, stepping around the dwarves who were still sitting up.

"Where are you going?" Thorin asked as she slowly moved passed him.

"To the back of the cave where there aren't any dwarves!" She grumbled and Fili kept a hand on her back the entire time just in case her balance wavered again. Thorin glared at his nephew who just sent him an innocent look, clearly concerned with the well-being of the lone female of their group. When she reached the back of the cave, she loosened the jerkin over the top of her tunic before tossing it over to the side where Kili had dropped her things. She glanced back over her shoulder to see all the dwarves still watching her. "Turn around!"

With a wave of grumbles, they all complied as they lay back down and faced away from the female. The blonde dwarf handed her a knife and Fili raised his eyebrows playfully before Ren smacked his shoulder before he too turned away. Thorin was the last one to look away and his blue eyes were icy as he turned away from her.

Lifting up the bottom of her tunic, she raised it over her head before tossing it on top of her jerkin. She then lifted up the bottom of her under shirt and she took the knife and cut the wet bandages holding her side together. Letting them fall to the floor with a quiet _woosh_, she shrugged her shirt up higher so that it rested upon her shoulders. She cursed when she stretched her side again. Despite the fact that he wasn't supposed to be looking, Thorin glanced back upon hearing her in pain and wondering if she was alright.

He felt his throat run dry upon seeing the perfectly smooth skin of her lower back. It glistened in the low light of the cave provided by the moon due to the dampness from her clothes. Her hand was clutching her side again before the pain apparently lessened. With baited breath, he watched as she carefully rubbed her side, her long fingers running over her flawless skin. His eyes then traveled up the smooth curve of her spinal column to reveal the rest of her pale back. She suddenly took another deep breath before reaching into her pack at her feet and pulling out a roll of thick cloth.

Remembering both his decency and her own, he quickly turned away before shutting his eyes as dark thoughts of desire crept through his mind. He should not have looked. Upon hearing the rustling of clothing and the quiet footsteps, he reopened his eyes.

She had fixed her shirt about her once again and replaced the tunic and leather jerkin over her head. Tying the strings at the top, she looked up at Thorin before sighing through her nose, knowing that he was cross with her for really no reason.

She looked at the empty spot beside where he had his own belongings. Silently asking if she could move her things, he simply turned away before she looked back to Fili who was now facing her. Holding his arm out, she took hold of it before he led her back over to her things.

Helping her to pick up her things, Kili and Fili helped her to move them back to the spot beside their uncle before they returned to their cots that were side by side as they always had been and always would be.

As Ren lowered herself to the floor, she held her breath before situating herself against the dryer fabric of her bedroll which had somehow escaped the rain. Crumpling up her cloak, she rested her head back against the improvised pillow, wanting sleep to claim her.

Glancing at Thorin's back, she rolled over to face away from him before she curled up into the smallest ball possible in an attempt to keep herself warm. For you see, the cave was dry but it sure wasn't warm. There was also a terrible draft that blew into their shelter every few minutes which also gave her fits when she tried to find sleep.

But with luck and a lot of persistence, sleep eventually claimed her for its own. Yet there was another among the Company who could not sleep.

Thorin could no longer take it. Ren was shivering next to him and he could almost feel the atmosphere of the cave shaking along with her. And it was annoying him to no end.

Finally, he rolled over and glared at her sleeping form. In a fit of bad dreams or discomfort, she rolled over so that she was facing him. For a moment, he froze as he thought she was awake but was relieved to find her still asleep.

He stared at her for what felt like an eternity before he felt guilt take him over. Deciding that he at least owed her for taking them this far on their journey for no promised reward, he shrugged out of his thick coat. It was relatively dry and had kept him warm throughout the entire trip on the way to the Lonely Mountain so he believed that it would do a fine job of keeping the cold away from her.

He placed his warm coat over shivering form and was surprised when she immediately snuggled into the soft furs that lined the inside. Pulling it closer to herself, she stopped shivering and sighed through her nose before her form went still as she settled deeper into sleep.

Feeling the corner of his lips turn up slightly, the dwarf lord whispered goodnight in Khuzdul before placing his own head back down upon his pillow, his blue eyes still gazing at her peaceful face.

He felt himself beginning to sink into sleep when he heard the rustling of clothing and looked up to see Bilbo begin packing his things.

And as he listened as Bilbo fought with Bofur about him being homesick and not belonging in the Company, Thorin couldn't help but feel guilty. What he had said about the hobbit was true, yet he should have never said anything about it.

To be completely honest, he was surprised the hobbit had made it that far.

"No, you're right." The dwarf with the odd hat turned back to look at the rest of his friends and relatives. "We don't belong anywhere..." He muttered before his eyes lingered on the female in their group.

She didn't belong anywhere just as much as any of them. She was a lost soul just like the rest of the Company. She had been through a lot in her lifetime and he could tell that she wished to settle down and have a home once again.

After Bofur wished the young hobbit good luck, he also pointed out the glowing blue blade at his side and Thorin felt realization dawn on him.

It was also at that moment that Ren shot up from sleep. Her fingers were tangled in the thick fur of his coat.

She had no idea why she had awoken. She just had this bad feeling that stirred her insides. Her sleep riddled eyes then turned to look at Thorin who was calmly gazing back at her.

And then she heard it. The distant scraping of claws on stone. Then the hiss of sand falling into a crack that emerged between Ren and Thorin. Both of them looked down at it before the dwaf lord jumped into action.

"Wake up! WAKE UP!" His voice echoed throughout the cave, causing all the dwarves to startled awake. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, the ground fell out from beneath her.

Her eyes darted around quickly before her hand shot out and found her bow and quiver, also finding pride in herself when one of her fingers caught the leather of her sword belt. The other hand still held onto the unnoticed coat of Thorin Oakenshield himself.

Down they tumbled into the darkness, falling and sliding on the luckily smooth stone as they yelled out in fear for what lay at the end of this wild ride. Only seconds seemed to pass before they were all deposited in a pile on a wooden platform.

Ren let out a yelp as she fell down into the pile, landing on pour Dwalin who let out a gruff bark of pain. Rolling off him, he rubbed his gut before looking over at her.

"Are you alright, lass?" He nodded towards her side. She reached a hand up and patted it to ensure that the bandage had held.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you." She said before smiling slightly. However as she felt something soft against her palm, she looked down to find her fingers interwoven into the soft fur of Thorin's blue coat.

Her brows furrowed momentarily before she raised her head and looked around, finding the dark haired dwarf on the other side of the pile.

Standing up on shaky legs, she stepped over Ori and Nori before coming to stand as close to the dwarf lord as possible.

"Your coat, Master Oakenshield!" She reached across thick Bombur who was still sprawled out on the wooden platform, extending her arm with the coat in her grasp. "Though I have no idea why I had it..."

"You were shivering and keeping some of us awake..." Thorin barked as he angrily took the coat from her before throwing it around his shoulders in a fit of anger and frusteration.

Then upon hearing the scraping noise again, she remembered what caused that sound.

"Then thank you for keeping me warm..." She threw her bow and quiver over her shoulder before quickly strapping her sword about her waist before she drew it out. It glowed blue in the dim light. "Now, I suggest you get up!"

"Why? What's coming?" Bofur asked her.

"Goblins."

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review! **

**Hey, thanks again guys for the awesome reviews! You all make my day! Seriously, whenever I feel my phone buzz, I always pick it up to find a new email and I can't help but smile!**

**Anyway, this chapter has a lot of Thorin/Ren fluff in it. He was actually concerned for her. And well, there was the kinda sexy scene. Just FYI, not sure if my story is actually going to be that racy! **

**But you know what's coming next chapter! Goblins! **

**And a plot twist. Things are going to heat up! I can't wait! **

**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. Still waiting for artwork submission if anyone wants to draw Ren or Thorin or both!**


	13. Chapter 13

Ren was only able to cut down two of the foul creatures before she was swarmed and her sword was lost in the mass of moving bodies as they knocked into her.

Being pushed forward, she was forced through the sea of goblins with a yelp, as was the rest of the Company. She kicked and fought the entire way, wanting the disgusting beings to just leave her be.

Dwalin also protested heavily and fought back against the goblins who just continued to shove him forward, keeping him in line with the rest of the dwarves.

But Ren fought for a different reason. For she knew who they were going to see and should things not go her way, it most certainly would not leave her in good relations with the Company.

They continued to be shoved forward along the rickety bridges that connected the entire goblin village together. The goblins' screeches reverberated off the vastness of the large cave, only to reflect right back at them, making the whole group of them a loud mess of scwabbling creatures. The entirety of the cave felt familiar and Ren could only gaze around as some of her distant memories began to come back to her.

When the huge and hulking mass of goblin came into view, the entire Company felt their lips curl up in disgust at the sight of the ugly beast. His pale skin was littered with puss-filled blisters and grime that had accumulated from the many years he had spent living under the mountain. His chin hung disgustingly low and rested upon his rounded belly.

Ren he could only grow quiet and let her hair fall into her face in an attempt to keep the fact that she was present a secret. Without even protesting, her weapons were taken from her grasp but was relieved to see Ringil deposited with the dwarves' weapons. At least it wasn't entirely lost.

Her satchel was also taken from her person and tossed before it came to land beside the pile of weapons.

The ugly beast nearly fell from his throne made of bones before coming to stand before the Company, his large chin swinging in a way that made Ren sick. She turned to look away slightly, her hand raising up to cover her mouth as she felt her stomach churn.

"Who would be so bold to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? _Assassins_?" Her brow twitched slightly upon hearing that last question. Yes, maybe assassin was the right word.

"Dwarves, your malevolence." A single goblin stepped forward and spoke to the large creature.

"Dwarves?"

"We found them on the front porch!" The same creature went onto explain.

"Well don't just stand there! Search them!" The Goblin King cried and Ren was suddenly groped in places she shouldn't have been groped. She sent the goblin before her a dirty look but he just grinned and reached for her again. "Every crack! Every crevice!"

Curling her fingers into a fist, she pulled her arm back and snapped it forward, into the goblins already crooked nose. She was pleasantly surprised when she watched the ugly goblin drop to the ground from the force she had put behind her punch. The goblins around her watched their comrade fall to the ground, showing Ren bearing her fist with a dark look in her eyes.

A quiet murmuring moved across their ground that was looking over at her before they all backed up a few steps, none of them wanting to get dropped as their friend did. So, instead they rushed her again, some of them holding her arms while the rest searched her. Of course she was cursing and swearing the entire way.

Yet as Ren was searched, the Goblins found nothing and she was glad she had placed her bracers back upon her wrists. For if they had found what lay there, she most certainly would be killed the moment it was found.

She also watched as a goblin picked up her satchel and opened the flap before he moved to dump the contents of the bag. However, he growled in anger as nothing came tumbling out of the bag. It was completely empty.

Some of the dwarves noticed this and exchanged a look. They had just seen her take out bandages and medicine no longer than a few hours ago.

"What are you doing in these parts? _Speak_!" All fourteen remaining members of the Company were silent. As Ren looked around, her eyes could not find the hobbit of their Company and she frowned. Where was he?

As she was looking about for the last member of their Company, the Goblin King spoke again, "Very well. If they will not talk, we will make them _squawk_! Bring up the Mangler! Bring up the Bone Breaker! Start with the youngest!" He pointed at poor little Ori.

"Wait!" A voice echoed off of the vast walls inside the cave. Ren felt someone brush passed her and she watched as Thorin moved to the front of the group. Her hand latched out and grasped onto his shoulder, knowing what he was about to do and knowing that he was going to sacrifice himself for the well being of his Company.

"Thorin-" She tried but he simply looked back at her before placing his own hand on top of her's, telling her that it was okay. Everything was going to be fine. He would rather himself be tortured than his comrades, his nephews, or Ren herself.

With concern in her eyes, her hand slid off his shoulder before she locked eyes with him. He just slowly nodded his head before he continued to make his way towards the front. However, Ren happened to glance up at the Goblin King who was still gazing at her intently. There was something that seemed familiar about her. She immediately dropped her eyes back to the ground before letting her hair fall into her face.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is! Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror! _King_ Under the Mountain!" The Goblin King bowed sarcastically in hopes of angering the dwarf. "Oh! But I'm forgetting that you don't have a mountain! You're not a King... Which makes you... nobody really!" The Goblin King smiled slightly upon seeing how he ruffled the dwarf lord's feathers. "I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head... Just the head, _nothing_ attached!"

Upon hearing this, Ren's eyes darted up from the ground, her cheeks paling in the process.

Kili had noticed how rigid she had gotten beside him and risked a glance over in her direction, finding her bright blue eyes full of what appeared to be fear yet worry for his Uncle upon hearing this grave news.

"Perhaps, you know of who I speak... An old enemy of your's... A pale orc astride a white Warg!" The Goblin King continued.

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed." Thorin nearly spat when he mentioned that loathsome creature. "He was slain in battle long ago!"

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Goblin King laughed before turning to a small goblin who was attached to some sort of rope transportation system that stretched across the chasm that lay inside the cave. "Send word to the pale orc. Tell him I've found his _prize_!"

With a high pitched laugh, the little goblin fled. What Ren would have done for her bow and arrow just then. She would have shot the little twit right out of the air. Then they would see who was laughing.

Feeling eyes upon her, she turned to find the Goblin King watching her again with his large classy eyes. Her sapphire eyes accidentally connected with his before a slow smile spread across his face and Ren felt her stomach sink with dread. For it was a smile of recognition.

"Bring forth the female." He ordered.

Being seized by her arms, she was pushed and pulled towards the front of the group with multiple yells of protest from the group of dwarves behind her. She herself cursed and grumbled under her breath as she looked her legs in attempt to remain hidden from view. Though, it was all for naught. It wasn't long before she stood out in the open by herself. Thorin was forced back into the group so that he could more easily be contained.

"You will not touch her!" Thorin snarled upon seeing the goblins' grubby hands upon her body. He stepped forward in an attempt to reach her again but a crude blade was placed upon his neck in a silent warning from a large goblin who growled at him.

"_Oh ho_!" The Goblin King laughed. "To see Thorin Oakenshield defending an _elf_! To think that I would live to see the day! Oh how the mighty have fallen!" The giant goblin mused. Thorin's eyes darted over to the woman, a confused look upon his face. The Goblin King grinned again, revealing his crooked teeth that were few in number.

"What does he speak of?" Thorin asked her but she didn't even look back at him, for her eyes were trained on the monster.

"Nothing."

"You mean you don't know?" The large goblin beamed, his glassy eyes glistening with pure glee. Oh, how he loved to ruin people's lives. Ren then looked back at Thorin for a moment, her eyes full of worry. "Show them! Show them!" He cheered.

And with that command, three goblins stepped forward, grins on their faces. They latched onto her arms in the blink of an eye before one moved to stand behind her. Letting out a few words in Elvish, she twisted in their grasp, wanting to break free.

Grasping a handful of her soft hair, the goblin turned her head to the side and she hissed in pain, his crooked fingers knotted tightly into her hair. His other hand took the remaining part of her soft hair and pulled it back to reveal her ear.

Ren gritted her teeth as his dirty claws scrapped against the sensitive skin of her ear. Her softly pointed ear.

"You most certainly must be blind to not even see that you had an elf lying under right under your nose!" The Goblin King laughed and pointed again before Ren looked at the Company out of the corner of her eye, her hair still gripped tightly by the goblin behind her.

All of them were shocked. None of them moved. None of them said a word. They couldn't believe it.

Ren had never shown any signs of being of Elvish heritage. Her hair was short. Her manners were horrible and she was rude. She drank like a man and ate as much as any dwarf. She was about as graceful as a blind bull in a room full of glass tea cups in the troll horde.

Yet there were the more subtle signs.

Her sharp eyes and ears. Her hair was always down to cover the pointed tips of her ears. She was fluent in both Rohirric and Elvish. Her skills with a bow were nearly unmatched. She was wise beyond her young appearance. She could scale trees in the blink of an eye. Her hair was perfectly golden as if it were part a gift from the sun. Her irises were the bluest of blues. Her skin was as smooth as silk.

She had an Elvish bearing the entire time but she was careful to never show it. She was sneaky.

The goblins threw her back towards the group of dwarves. She stumbled a bit and landed on her hands and knees.

"You lied to us." Thorin muttered in disbelief yet he spoke what the rest of the dwarves were thinking. She had deceived them all. The entire time, she had been the enemy and she had kept it a secret.

She slowly climbed onto her feet, her eyes glaring at the goblins around her the entire time. Things were falling apart around her. Her lie was disintegrating every moment that passed.

Now, she just wanted out of that place and to be rid of the filthy creatures.

"I never lied. I just didn't tell you the entirety of the situation." She grumbled as she adjusted her rumbled clothing before she turned back to face the looming form of the Goblin King.

"My, my! It has been _some time_ since I've seen your lovely face around here!" He chided and she only let her eyes harden with hate.

"I know. It hasn't been _long_ enough..." Ren muttered dryly before she glared defiantly up at him. He only smirked down at her before chuckling.

"You have a fair price on your head as well, little elf. I'm sure that Azog has missed you just as he has missed your dear sister!" The Company watched as Ren's form became rigid upon hearing those words. "How is your dear sister by the way?" The woman's eyes became dark with loathing as she slowly raised her head up from the floor to gaze hatefully at him.

"Better now that I'm about to finish what I started all those years ago!" She lunged towards their weapons with incredible speed and she was able to get her hands on her own blade but the goblins were faster. Her sword was kicked away and she was restrained once again. The Goblin King chuckled loudly.

"Always such fire! I can now see why Azog loved playing with you so much..." Ren fell silent and she stilled in her fight against the goblins holding onto her. Her blue eyes still looked up at him with such hate and spite, the dwarves almost didn't recognize her.

Kili and Fili could only stare at her wide eyed for a moment. For in that moment, she had the same eyes as their Uncle when it came to those he loathed such as Azog. This was no longer the Ren that they had joked with. This was no longer the Ren that had taken care of the ponies with. This was no longer the Ren that they knew.

This Ren had a dark side. So full of hate and spite. Just like their vengeful Uncle.

"_Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung! You will die down here and never be found! Down in the deep of Goblin-Town_!" The ugly brute sang as he pranced around slightly. Ren only glared at him the entire time, definitely wishing that she had an arrow or something else sharp to cut out his vocal chords so that he could not sing let alone speak.

Chaos didn't occur until one of the goblins decided to go through their shinny weapons while they waited for the goblins to bring up their torturing devices.

Upon finding Orcrist in the pile of weapons, the goblin let out a shriek of fear as he drew the blade from its scabbard, having recognized the blade. He threw it down onto the wooden flooring before the great goblin who yelped in fear before scrambling back up upon his throne in terror as if the sword would attack him at any moment.

"I know that sword! It is the _Goblin Cleaver_! The _Biter_! The blade that sliced a _thousand_ necks!" The goblins went into a fury and began to attack the Company now knowing that they were enemies of the goblins. "_Slash_ them! _Beat_ them! _Kill_ them! Kill them _all_!"

Shoving the goblins away from her with a new found strength, Ren reached down into her boot and withdrew the small knife hidden there. She was tackled from behind by a goblin and her face was forced down into the dusty wood, her hand still tightly clutching the small knife.

"CUT OFF HIS HEAD!" The Goblin King cried as he pointed down at the dwarf lord. She was able to get her head back up off the floor to see that they had Thorin pinned down with a crude looking blade hovering above his head, ready to separate his head from his shoulders.

Then there was a bright light and all fell silent in the cave. The goblins were blown back and everyone in Goblin-Town was a bit stunned at the occurrence. Darkness consumed them for a moment before light slowly started to fill the cave as the torches lighted again.

With a groan as she held her side, Ren slowly sat up to see a familiar face standing at the head of the group of dwarves and goblins dressed in gray robes. She couldn't help but smirk slightly. Gandalf always showed up when he was most needed.

"Take up arms! Fight... _FIGHT_!" The dwarves were slowly coming back into reality and Ren clamored to her feet first. Diving for her bow and quiver, she swept them up over her head in one natural movement. Only a moment later, Ringil was in her waiting palms, her fingers tightly gripping the hilt of her Elvish blade. She also swiped her satchel up and over her head so that it rested diagonally across her chest. The goblins rushed towards her and Gandalf moved forward to stand beside her.

Together they fought against the ugly beasts until she was able to reach the large Elvish sword that lay before the Goblin King's throne. Bending down, she turned around found its owner. She tossed it to Thorin who caught it easily, sending her a dark look before unsheathing the silver blade and beginning to attack the advancing goblin forces.

"He wields the Foe Hammer! The Beater!" The Goblin King cried as he pointed at Gandalf who was wielding Glamdring. Regaining their strength, the Company of dwarves began to fight back when they regained their lost weapons. They continued to fight their way through the mass of disgusting bodies, goblins beginning to drop like flies.

With a loud clanging, Thorin blocked the Goblin King's bone scepter and the foul creature fell off the ledge of the platform they were standing on before tumbling down into the chasm that lay below where they were standing.

"This way, quickly!" Gandalf called, directing the Company over a shabby looking bridge that Ren actually reconsidered crossing. She was the last one over the bridge and she put Ringil away before she withdrew her bow before knocking an arrow in preparing of what was to come.

As they raced through the various bridges and platforms of Goblin-Town, Ren was conservative with her arrows and only fired if a goblin came too close as if jumped down at her from a higher level.

Firing at a goblin that came leaping at her, she stepped to the side as the beast fell dead at her feet before she pulled the arrow free and replaced it back into her bow. Another came at her from behind and she used her bow as a blunt weapon and swatted the ugly thing away, sending it tumbling over the railing to her right.

Suddenly, a group of goblins came swinging towards the Company on a cluster of ropes.

"Cut the ropes!" Thorin commanded and Ren withdrew one of her dual daggers and she slashed the ropes beside her. Without warning, the platform they were standing on rocked and the entire Company wavered as they struggled to stay standing.

They raced across to the other side before the platform fell away, leaving a large gap between the goblins and the troop of dwarves and Ren. However, that did not stop the creatures from following them. They simply climbed up onto the rock wall and crossed the gap.

Ren grumbled as she went to attack a few that had already reached her side.

"Lass!" Ren looked back to see Dwalin motioning her forward to keep up. Slashing a goblin's throat, she ran after the Company, having to cross over a ladder that filled a wide gap, her feet surprisingly quick and agile as they flew over the prongs.

Slashing and bashing their way through another set of wooden platforms they came to a dead end, their path stopping and opening up to simply leave a gaping hole. They were trapped.

That is, until Kili sliced the rope holding the platform stable.

Swinging across on the platform, a few of the dwarves jumped off on the first trip, safely landing on the other side. On the way back, a few goblins jumped on and Ren and the rest of the dwarves fought them before they also jumped off the moving platform before Fili cut the ropes holding it up, though he nearly stumbled when he jumped onto the platform.

Letting out a distressed cry, the blonde dwarf almost fell backwards before a hand shot out and latched onto the front of his coat, pulling him forward and to safety. Fili only looked at Ren in surprise, his blue eyes questionable. She just saved him.

And then he realized that she had saved them multiple times. And not just him. But Kili and Bilbo. And she had really saved them all in Rivendell when making friends with the elves.

Though she was an elf. So why was she good?

"Go!" She patted his shoulder to get him to focus again before pushing him forward gently, her bow out and prepared to fire. He just looked back at her one more time before he moved forward to rejoin the group of dwarves.

Continuing to fight through the seemingly endless number of nasty goblins, Ren continued to fight and just as she was about to turn around to and kill another goblin, a familiar Elvish blade cut the head clean off the brute.

The body collapsed to reveal none other than Thorin Oakenshield himself. The two of them only looked at each other for a moment before he brushed passed her and began to follow behind Gandalf. She only lowered her eyes to the ground in shame, knowing that this was how things would go should her secret be revealed.

Following behind a boulder that Gandalf had constructed out of the cliff side, it made their path easier to follow. It cleared the way for the rest of the group, crushing any goblin that tried to halt the Company in their escape. As they continued to force their way through the mass of bodies, Ren somehow made it to the front of the group, her bow clamped tightly between her index and middle finger.

As they were about to cross another long bridge, the floor erupted and the Goblin King crawled up from the floor, a devious grin on his face. Ren stepped back to protect herself from the spray of wooden shards.

"You thought you could escape me!?" He smashed his scepter down into the floor before her. She stepped back to dodge it and she ducked beneath it when he swung it in an attempt to take her head off. She also shouldered her bow and quickly placed the arrow back into her quiver. "What are you going to do now, little elleth?"

"I'm going to do what I started but never finished..." She withdrew her new sword, a dark look entering her blue eyes. He swung at her again but she ducked and slicked his large stomach open. With a cry, he dropped to his knees before her, clutching at his new wound.

"That'll do it..." He said before she swung and the blade easily cut through his rotten skin before his large body fell dead at her feet. Ren stepped back slightly as she panted, her rage filling her but it was slowly replaced with a sense of satisfaction.

She then looked up to the roof of the cave and shut her eyes before murmuring something in Elvish. She then took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes back up, the hate and spite now receding from her blue irises.

The part of the bridge they were standing on soon began to creak and groan. Ren stepped back and looked down at her feet to see the crack forming before her. She then turned back to look at Gandalf who also shared the same fear with her. And then the boards beneath them collapsed.

Riding the bridge down the side of the seemingly bottomless valley, the Company all shrieked as they clutched onto the bridge. Ricocheting down the sides of the chasm, the bridge landed in a dusty pile of boards and bodies. Sputtering, Ren pushed a few boards off her upper body, her hair and face now covered completely in dust. She sat up slightly but when she tried to free herself, she found that her lower body was stuck in the pile of wood under the excess weight.

"Well, that could have been worse!" Bofur called from the top of the pile before the body of the dead Goblin King fell down upon them without warning. Feeling as though she were being crushed by the mountain itself, Ren groaned as she tried to pull herself from the rubble yet it proved rather difficult seeing as how a huge carcass lay atop them.

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin growled as he pried himself free from the clutter. He then pulled Thorin free who pulled his oldest nephew out. When Fili reached for his youngest brother, he noticed that he was rather distracted with something above him.

"Gandalf!" Kili squeaked and the wizard looked up to see the sea of goblins racing towards them.

"There are too many of them! We cannot fight!" Dwalin cried as he pulled Dori from the pile of boards before dusting them off.

"There is only one thing that can save us now! Daylight!" The wizard stepped over to the pile and began to pull various dwarves out of the rubble. All of them began to race for the exit but when Gandalf quickly counted, he couldn't find the female among them. "Ren!"

He looked back at the pile to find her lower body still trapped beneath the body of the large dead goblin.

She continued to struggle as she tried to push the heavy weight off her. Bofur and Bifur were trying to pull her out as well. "Help, she's stuck!" They called back to the group. The horde of goblins continued to race towards them, cutting down their escape time to almost none.

Thorin only looked back to find her stuck in the dusty pile and he seriously considered leaving her behind. For she was an elf and he was no longer of use to him. She was one of the enemy.

"Ren!" His nephews chimed as they pushed passed him. Ori, Nori, and Dori also rushed to her aide. But that was not what shocked him the most.

Dwalin also bumped shoulders with him as he ran forward to help save the elf. The dwarf lord could only stand there in shock, not believing that Dwalin would go to help save an _elf_. An _elf_!

The dwarvish warrior passed his large hammer to Ori before he took a hold of one of Ren's hands in both of his own. Fili and Kili also clutched onto her other arm, readying to help their ally.

"One, two, three!" They heaved and her body slid from the dusty pile, though it stretched her wounded rib out in the process. Though, she hardly had time to worry about pain.

Stumbling to her feet, she quickly thanked the dwarves before she reached down to pick up her lost blade before she sheathed it and began to run towards the light coming from outside the mountain, very well knowing that their only escape was to use the light from the sun as their only protection.

They had to get out and into the rays of the setting sun in any hopes of escaping the foul goblins.

* * *

**You know what to do! Read and review!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! And now the secret is out. Yup, some of you guessed it.**

**Ren is an elf.**

**And Thorin is not happy about it. And he won't be happy about it. Just wait until the confrontation about her past. Things will get messy. Push may come to shove and it won't be a pretty sight. **

**It will take time for the Company to adjust but first we must escape the goblins!**

**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. Alright. I'm relying a lot on the movies for my story, as I did for my LotRs story. So, I'm going to have to wait for DoS to come out. It comes out in December. I don't want to wait that long. **

**So you see my dilemma. Should I close this story and write a second story or should this one just be on hiatus and I'll continue to right To Your Mark when DoS comes out?**

**HALP!**


	14. Chapter 14

Bursting out into the sunlight, Ren let herself take a deep breath of fresh air. How she had missed it in such a short time. For, the air in the cave had be dank and just as foul as the goblins living in it. Sprinting down the hill, she didn't bother to hide the fact of how graceful she was as she leapt over various boulders and logs, her long legs easily carrying her across the sloped landscape.

"Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Bifur and Bofur. That's ten. Fili and Kili. That's twelve. Bombur..." The blond woman came running out of the trees, an arrow knocked in her bow as she brought up the rear just as a precaution, her eyes trained on the trees as she watched for any stray goblins. "And... Ren! Fourteen." He then looked around the group, realizing that someone was indeed missing.

"Where's Bilbo?" Ren panted as her bright eyes darted around the group. No one answered.

"WHERE IS OUR HOBBIT!?" Gandalf shouted at the group. All of them looked around, just now realizing that he was gone.

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?" Dwalin muttered in anger, knowing that the hobbit would eventually become a nuisance at some point during their long trek to their homeland.

"I thought he was with Dori!" One of the dwarves claimed.

"Don't blame me!" The dwarf cried.

"Where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first cornered us..." Nori explained for his brother who sent him a thankful look.

"TELL ME!" Gandalf snapped again, his worry beginning to take over his emotions.

"I'll tell you what happened, Master Baggins saw his chance and took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm harth since he first stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is _long_ gone!" Thorin snapped. They were all silent as they thought of the Company's burglar.

Had he really left them?

"Nope. He isn't!" Ren turned back to find the hobbit standing behind her. She moved out of the way to reveal the small creature to the rest of the Company.

"Bilbo..." She beamed widely, glad to see the hobbit. For she had been fearful that he had gotten lost in the goblin tunnels and he was going to be misplaced and forgotten for all eternity.

"Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf laughed in relief. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" The wizard stepped forward.

"Bilbo! We'd given you up!" Kili said as he smiled a grin of complete awe.

"How on Earth did you get passed the goblins?" His blonde brother asked from his side, also completely amazed that the hobbit had made it out.

"How indeed..." Dwalin was still shocked himself as he spoke. The hobbit was speechless for a moment as he looked around the Company. He hadn't exactly thought that far ahead in his plan. He only laughed nervously as he slipped something into his pocket.

This didn't go unnoticed by Ren or Gandalf. The latter of the two caught sight of something small and golden before it disappeared. She only narrowed her eyes but said nothing of the issue.

"Well, what does it matter?" Gandalf covered for the hobbit who only looked to him gratefully.

"He's here now so it doesn't!" Ren added.

"I want to know... Why did you come back?" Thorin asked quietly, his eyes momentarily flashing to Ren.

"I know you doubt me. I-I know you always have. And you're right! I do think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back. Because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can..." The hobbit's words silenced all the dwarves.

And Ren had never been prouder in her life. But her pride was soon extinguished.

"Something's coming!" She turned her head in the direction of the noise as her sharp ears picked up something coming in the underbrush. There was a moment of silence before there was a howl in the distance.

"Out of the frying pan-" Thorin murmured.

"-And into the fire! Run! RUN!" Gandalf commanded and the dwarves were moving again. For they did not wish for the fate that lay in wait for them.

Reaching out, Ren threw the hobbit ahead of her before turning and looking over her shoulder. With her sharp Elvish eyes, she could see the Wargs coming in the dark trees and she growled in frusteration before chasing behind the rest of the dwarves.

As they raced down the hillside, a Warg leapt off a rock and came to stand between Bilbo and the rest of the Company.

"Bilbo!" Ren cried and was about to fire an arrow when another Warg lunged at her. She fired her arrow at the dog-like creature which fell dead with a yelp as the projectile entered the soft skin of his throat. And when she turned to fire at the Warg attacking the hobbit, she found the Warg dead at his feet with his little blade protruding from the wolf's skull.

She wished that she could have stood in shock for a moment. Bilbo just killed a Warg with his tiny little blade. But she didn't have time to simply stand. There would be none of that in the upcoming battle.

He was struggling to free his blade free at the current moment.

Ren knocked another arrow before she raced to the hobbit's side and pulled the small sword free easily.

"And Balin said your sword would never see battle!" She beamed at the hobbit who also grinned before pushing him forward again.

"Up into the trees! All of you!" Gandalf commanded and Ren turned to fire at another Warg racing towards the group. It tumbled head over heels as it fell to the ground, coming to rest as a dusty mess before her feet.

As the rest of the Warg pack approached, she nearly threw Bilbo up one of the pine trees before she raced towards another one where she hoped she could find refuge. Throwing her bow over her shoulder, she quickly scaled the spindly tree before coming to sit beside the dwarf who was least happy to see her.

But she wouldn't matter in a moment as their mutual enemy came into view.

"Azog-"

"-The Defiler..." Ren finished Thorin's sentence. Yet he didn't look at her. His main focus was on the ghost of the creature before him. Azog was dead. He couldn't truly be before him now, could he?

The pale orc muttered something in his own language before the group was able to recognize a few discernible words, "_Thorin_ son of _Thrain_."

"It cannot be..." The dwarf breathed from beside her, his eyes wide in both disbelief and fear. But it seemed that Thorin wasn't the center of attention any longer.

Muttering something else in the crude language of the orcs, he pointed his heavy mace at Ren who was stationed beside the dark haired dwarf and she felt her blood freeze in her veins.

He then smiled a crude and devious smile before he called to the orcs around him and they all laughed before he smirked once again. Ren could only swallow, her darkest memories now invading her mind. It was happening, again.

He then raised his mace to point at the duo in the tree before muttering something, possibly telling the others that they were not be killed but saved for his own fun. He then commanded the rest of his pack to move forward and attack.

The Wargs rushed forward and began to try and knock the trees over as they climbed towards their prey.

Drawing her bow again, Ren fired down at the Wargs, killing a good handful. As one came too close, she spared the time it took for her to load her bow and instead reached down and speared the creature in the eye with the projectile she was about to use. She cursed at the creature in Elvish at the mutt before pulling the arrow free and loading it into the bow to fire.

The trees with the rest of the Company began to collapse on top of one another. The dwarves, hobbit, and elf had to jump from tree to tree before they all occupied the lone tree on the point of the cliff. They were cornered.

From above, someone launched a flaming pine cone down at the Wargs, causing the dry ground to catch fire and keep the Wargs at bay for the moment and keeping the Company safe.

"Fili!" Gandalf yelled as he dropped a pine cone down to the blonde dwarf who helped Bilbo to light his own.

Ren only ripped a few strips the bottom of her tunic before she tied them around the ends of a few arrows.

"Gandalf!" She called up to him and he dropped another pine cone down to her. She immediately knocked an arrow before holding it in the flaming cone. Using her arrows as a sharp and fiery projectile, she was able to light a few Wargs on fire which ran away yelping into the distance.

The rest of the Company also had great luck and the rest of the Wargs retreated, only leaving a handful of orcs and Azog himself behind.

As the group let out loud battle cries of triumph, their tree shook and began to lean over the edge of the cliff. With a yell, they all clutched tightly to the branches of the large pine tree in hopes that they would not go tumbling from the tree and fall to their deaths hundreds of feet below.

When the trunk of the tree hit the ground, it caused the entire structure to shake. As she fell through the air, Ren let out a scream of fear but she was saved when her bow luckily caught on one of the many branches. The string snapped with a _twang_ and left her hanging from the curved wood which continued to slip closer to the edge of the thin branch.

This also left her feet dangling above the forest and river far below, the only thing keeping her from falling to her death was the bow that she had always placed her trust in. Her hands were placed on either side of the curve, keeping her balanced.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked to her right and watched as Thorin stood upon the base of the tree. How he was still on the trunk was unknown to her. But as she looked at him, she noticed his eyes were filled with such strong hate as he looked at Azog. He slowly began to proceed forward, right passed the rest of the Company who were in dire need of help.

"Thorin, no!" Ren grunted as she still struggled to hang on. Yet he did not listen to her or even acknowledge that she was there.

He raised Orcrist and an oaken branch before he began to run at the pale orc, the flames lapping at the branches surrounding him. But it was all for naught.

The pale orc commanded his white Warg forward and the beast lept on the heir of Durin, knocking him to the ground easily.

Slowly climbing to his feet after the hard hit, Azog only rushed towards him again to hit him in the chest with his vile mace. The dark haired dwarf collapsed to the ground in pain.

"NO!" Balin cried from his perch in the tree.

Bilbo watched with terror as Thorin tried to fight off the terrifying pale orc, only for his Warg to clamp his large jaws around Thorin's left shoulder. Ren flinched slightly as she heard the crunch as bones were fractured from the sharp teeth of the creature.

"THORIN!" Dwalin cried out for his friend, trying to get to his leader, only for the branch he was clinging to break and all he could do was hang on. The hobbit pulled himself up onto the tree and Ren simply looked at him for a moment.

And as she looked between the hobbit and her teetering bow as she braced her hands on either side of the bow to keep herself balanced, she heard the cries of pain from Thorin and she knew what she must do. She would have to make a sacrifice.

In a last attempt to save himself, Thorin mashed the end of Orcrist into the soft muzzle of the Warg and the beast threw him across the fiery ground where he came to rest in a heap of blood and clothes.

Azog muttered something in his own gruff language and the orc beside him slid from his mount, taking slow steps towards Thorin. Bilbo's eyes flashed between Azog, the orc, and Thorin before his shaking hand withdrew his small blade from his belt. It glowed a brilliant blue in the moonlight, already alerting them that orcs were about.

He had to do something.

As the orc lay his rusted blade upon Thorin's throat to prepare for an attack, he raised it above his head and was about to bring it down when a battle cry was heard and a small body slammed into the orc about to behead the dwarf.

Thorin could only watch helplessly as Bilbo was kicked off the orc before the halfling plunged his blade into the orc's abdomen, saving both himself and the dwarf lord.

And as the Warg moved to save his master and attack the small hobbit, he heard another battle cry and a flash of brilliant gold before a body slammed into the Warg. Both of them tumbled across the dusty ground and the elf was able to roll up onto the balls of her feet, one of her long daggers clutched in her hand and almost a feral look in her eyes.

The Warg growled at her as it climbed to his feet and Thorin felt himself drifting into the darkness. And he could only wonder: _Why is the elf protecting me?_

His head dropped as he let himself fall into unconsciousness, knowing that he could not hold on any longer.

Ren's blue eyes stayed locked on the Warg as it began to circle her. Sheathing her smaller blade, her hand moved to Ringil and the Warg lunged as though it had found a weakness. Drawing out her own glowing blade, she quickly sidestepped and with a loud cry, plunged the Elvish blade deep into the creature's furry neck.

Kicking the smelling corpse off her blade, she made a face before twirling it around in her palm, an old habit that had reformed quickly since it had been a bad habit in her past. It was like second nature.

Hearing a growl to her right, she caught sight of the rest of the orc pack upon their mounts, Azog smiling down at her. Her face hardened before she looked back at Bilbo before falling into a protective stance before him, her sharp blade pointed threateningly in the pale orc's direction.

She would not allow any other members of the Company to get hurt. Not while she was still among the living.

The orc barked something and the rest of the pack moved forward. Before they could get to either of the two Company members, another battle cry was heard and the dwarves had finally arrived.

Feeling a fire spark inside their bellies at seeing their leader being beaten to the edge of death, they wished to fight. They wished to risk their life for their King. For they were the loyalist dwarves that you would ever meet.

And that was not the only reason.

Ren, being an elf and owing Thorin nothing but hate, was protecting him against the most foul and terrifying creature that walked Middle Earth by herself. It was almost like she was upstaging them.

And so, the battle began. And it was marvelous.

Warg bones were being shattered left and right. Fur was flying and hide was being cut. For on that day, the orcs would come to learn that you didn't prod a Company of angry dwarves, a hobbit, and an elf.

Suddenly hearing a shrill cry, Ren stopped in her fighting for a moment to see a huge shadow pass over head before the Warg before her disappeared. The flapping of wings was also heard before one of the wolf-like creatures was swept away to her right.

The elf couldn't help but smile as she helped Dwalin to fight off two Wargs that was trying to double team him. Yelps of both orcs and Wargs around her only fueled the fire within her, knowing that they would come out with the longer end of the stick should the battle continue with the help that they had.

Hearing a growl behind her, she ducked just in time as the white furred creature could easily be seen in the bright fire light. Turning to face the pale orc, she gritted her teeth. For fear was beginning to consume her. Old memories began to come back to her, none of them pleasant.

She was living her oldest nightmare.

The sword in her hand shook and she adjusted her grip, preparing for the beast to lunge. Shutting her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. For the battle that was about to ensue was guaranteed to be a difficult one. The greatest she would ever fight.

Or maybe... the time was _not_ right.

Left and right, dwarves were being plucked from the cliff around her. She watched with wide eyes as Thorin was swept away, Orcrist pressed close to his body. She let out the breath she didn't realize that she was holding. He was at least safe.

Bilbo was also swept off in the clutches of one of the grand eagles before being dropped onto another's back. Good, the hobbit was safe as well.

"Ren!" Gandalf called as he circled over her head on the back of another eagle. Nodding to him, she looked back to Azog who was growling in rage. His prey had escaped him. Again.

But he would not so easily let his plaything escape her.

Deciding to take this as her opportunity, Ren turned, sheathing her sword as she went. Time seemed to slow as she lept across a burning log. She could hear the white Warg behind her. She could feel Azog reaching out to grab a hold of her.

Yet, when her boots quietly pounded across the bark of the tree overhanging the cliff, she knew she was safe. For the tree was already slipping from the cliffside and Azog would not follow her. Diving out into the open air, she prayed for the first time in years since she had left her home.

Raising her blue eyes to look up at the bright moon, she sent her silent wishes to the Valar that she would be caught. Her journey was only beginning. She didn't want it to end this way. She could do so much more should she survive.

And as if her prayers were answered, she was suddenly swept away by a mass of feathers. Grasping tightly to the bird's feathers, she heard a roar of loathsome rage and turned back to watch as Azog stood at the edge of the cliff. He had lost both his prey and his toy. And he was not happy in the slightest.

"Ren!" She heard the quiet voice and looked up in surprise to find the hobbit clutching tightly to the brown feathers of the eagle. Feeling a bit of relief wash over her, she crawled up and positioned herself beside the hobbit. Wrapping an arm around his small body, he let out a small squeak of surprise but said nothing else as she settled into her body.

She was grateful that everyone had made it out alright. Counting the thirteen dwarves, one hobbit, and one wizard, she was able to breath a sigh of pure bliss. Everyone came away with their lives. Although, Thorin was questionable.

She wished that they would soon land so that she could tend to his wounds. Judging by the sounds that she had heard before, she guessed that their was serious damage done.

Yet as she clutched tightly to the hobbit, she felt herself content with life for a moment. She had a purpose again.

Not that Bilbo was complaining. It had been an awfully long day and he was glad for her warm embrace. After the incident with the goblins and the dreadful Gollum, he was happy to have someone to hold him after the tiring day.

Both of them took to lying down after a few hours of flying. Her sharp eyes were continuously trained on the beaten form of Thorin Oakenshield.

The sun soon began to peak over the horizon, gracing the Earth with its warmth and light. But she feared that with the new day, only bad news was to come. She began to grow nervous when she thought of his wounds. He needed to be tended to.

Flying down lower, they soared through the wide girth of a valley until a familiar sight came into sight. Carrock drew nearer and the marvelous birds circled the high stone structure.

Depositing Thorin upon the cold stone, Ren's transport hovered above and she lept off the eagle's back, not waiting for the large bird to land. The other dwarves were already gathered around their friend and leader, trying to see if he was alright.

"Move!" She dove down beside him. Her bag was clutched tightly in her palms as she placed her hand upon his forehead to feel the chill of his skin. She gritted her teeth in frustration. If she did not work fast, she would lose him. "Thorin!" She tried calling his name in an attempt to get him to wake from his slumber. Quickly drawing a small bottle out of her bag, she pulled the cork out and slowly waved it until the dwarf's nose. He still did not stir. "Thorin!" Her hand moved to his cold cheek. "Wake up!" Her thumb gently touched his skin and she held her breath when his eyes slowly began to open.

In the lingering darkness in his mind, the dwarf could hear voices around him, albeit they were greatly muffled. "_Thorin_!" Came the muffled call of a familiar voice. Something warm then touched his face. He tried to grasp onto that sense of reality and held onto it, using it to pull him back to the surface. "_Wake up_!" He continued to follow behind the voice until he could feel the wind blowing upon his skin.

His eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them but as he did so, his eyes did not fall upon a most unpleasant sight. Sapphire blue irises gazed intently down at him. He took a deep breath as he fully regained consciousness. But then Thorin remembered everything. Azog and the orc pack. The Wargs and fire. The Goblin King and his little surprise.

Ren was an elf.

Watching as his eyes hardened upon seeing her when he woke, she remembered that her hand was still upon his dirtied cheek and she quickly withdrew her hand but her wrist was snared in his large hand and he gazed at it for a moment. The soft, perfect hands were still covered with the leather of her gauntlets, hiding the simplistic beauty of her long and elegant fingers.

"The halfling?" He breathed, his voice weak from the pain he was now feeling. She said nothing and instead turned to look over her shoulder at the hobbit who had just now gotten down from the perch he had maintained on the eagle. The dwarf only gazed at her darkly before looking passed her to see the aforementioned hobbit.

Retching her hand free, she fell back onto her heels, wishing to get away from the angered dwarf lord. With a groan of pain, he struggled to pull himself up from the ground. Dwalin and Kili stepped forward to help their wounded leader.

"Don't move!" The lone woman commanded him but his eyes locked on the hobbit's form, not even sparing her a glance.

"Silence." He barked at her before adjusting his rumbled clothing which was stiff from the blood that had oozed from his wounds as they traveled by eagle. The blonde woman did just as he commanded before looking down at the ground and stepping back towards the rear end of the group until she was standing alone. But just because she was alone, it did not mean she didn't listen.

"You." Thorin growled as he took in the halfling's form. "What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed..." The dark haired dwarf took a few pained steps forward. "Did I not say you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the Wild? That you had no place amongst us?" It was silent for a moment and Ren raised her head from where it had been bowed.

"I've never been so wrong in all my life." The dwarf murmured as he stepped forward to tightly embrace the hobbit who was stunned beyond belief. The Company let out loud cheer, happy that the hobbit was fully accepted into their group.

A small smile tugged at Ren's lips as she gazed out across the bowl-like valley that surrounded Carrock. Her hand placed itself upon the hilt of her sword before she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I doubted you."

"No, I would have doubted me, too. I'm not a hero. Or a warrior. Not even a _burglar_..." The group let out a chuckle at that.

With a loud and shrill cry, the eagles began to fly off, their wings creating noise as they floated through the air. All the dwarves turned to watch them leave and through the mass of bodies, Thorin could see a familiar head of hair.

"Girl." He barked and once again the Company grew silent. She continued to face away from him for a moment before she slowly turned to meet his icy eyes. "Or rather woman I now assume..."

She had been dreading this moment their entire journey. For she knew that he would make her leave as soon as he found out her biggest secret. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes letting her head drop in defeat.

"I hope for both our sake's that the Goblin King had us under some sort of spell. For my mind was surely playing tricks upon me..."

He couldn't help but hold a bit of hope in his very heart. He hoped her to be a normal Ranger woman and not one of his old enemies.

Unbeknownst to himself up until that point, Thorin had developed a soft spot for her in the cold depths of his heart.

She reached around the side of her head and carefully drew back her curtain of blonde hair. All the dwarves gasped upon seeing that she was, with out a doubt an elf as she exposed her pointed ear.

Thorin let his head drop slightly in disappointment before he swallowed as he struggled to contain his rage.

Fili smirked as elbowed his brother in the side who begrudgingly reached into one of his coat pockets and retrieved a small bag of cold that the goblins luckily hand't found, slapping it into his older brother's waiting hand. He had lost that bet.

"To think that I let an _ELF_ INTO MY COMPANY!" He shouted but she didn't flinch. She only opened her eyes glared back at him.

He then reached down and picked up Orcrist which was deposited on the stone ground. He took a few steps closer to her, his blade clenched tightly in his fist. Ren's eyes widened slightly in shock and she drew her own blade out and held it tightly in her hands, ready for any attack he dared to try.

This stopped the dwarf's tantrum upon seeing her do this, knowing that she was just as formidable with a sword as the rest of them were. He then turned to look at Gandalf, his face darkening considerably. He kept his arm stretched out, his blade pointed at Ren as he looked at the wizard. "You... _YOU_ BROUGHT HER INTO _MY COMPANY_!"

"I only did what I thought was best for the group! If it had not been for Ren, you would probably all be dead by now!" The wizard snapped, not appreciating how he was treating the female. She was a big part of her group whether Thorin believed it or not and here he was almost threatening him.

The dwarf was silent for a moment.

"I should have seen the signs! Your beauty! Your eyes! Your hair! Everything screamed elf yet I was idiotic enough to ignore them! Everything..." He growled, raking a hand through his thick hair. "Your tales. The very fact you speak Evlish! Your skills with a bow! I was beyond _ignorant_!" And now that Thorin thought about it, he wondered if the bow was of Elvish make as well. He let out a bitter laugh before shaking his head slightly. "I wish to see the craftsmanship put into your bow but I can only guess who made it!" He held his hand out, wishing to see the weapon mentioned before.

Her gaze suddenly dropped to the ground, sadness washing through her sapphire irises. And as Thorin looked about her person, he could not find the familiar bow resting across her back.

"Where-Where is... your bow?" His voice returned back to a normal level and he took a small step towards her, his head tilted to the side.

"I do not have it..." She replied quietly, her voice sounding so small.

"And why not?"

"When the tree tipped, my bow was the only thing that caught hold of one of the branches and I would have surely fallen to my death. But then I had to chose between saving my bow or saving you and I couldn't save both..." She let out a small laugh at that, almost disappointed in herself. "It wasn't a very hard decision to make..."

And this revelation had stunned Thorin into silence. She had given up the one thing she truly loved to save his sad life.

"Why did you do it?" Thorin asked after he could no longer take the silence that had settled over the group. All the dwarves' heads swiveled to look at the female elf, most of them not even knowing that she had made such a great sacrifice. "You could have let them kill me and saved yourself all the trouble that you knew that was yet to come."

"Because... I am not your enemy, Thorin. I never was and I never will be your enemy. This entire time, you trusted me enough to follow me out of Rivendell and into the unknown and wild wilderness. You trusted me enough that you fell asleep below while I sat perched in a tree, ready to claim any foul creature's life that dared come close to our fire..." She released her hair so that it concealed her ears once more. But it was now at this time that Thorin noticed the dried blood on the other side of her neck.

She was hurt.

"I have not changed in the slightest, Master Oakenshield. It is only your opinion of me that has changed all because of the simple fact that you learned that my ears are different than your's. You may blame me for what the elves did all those years ago when the dragon first attacked your home. But let me tell you something. I was not at Erebor sixty years ago. My race didn't help the dwarves reclaim their home..." She stepped forward as she sheathed her sword and the dwarves moved out of the way so that she could move to stand before Thorin himself.

"But I will do everything in my power to help you reclaim yours..." She suddenly went down onto one knee as she bowed her head, leaving herself undefended if Thorin should attack with Orcrist. She closed her eyes before curling her hand into a fist before placing it over her heart in a silent promise that she had learned of so long ago.

The entire Company was silent as they waited to hear what their leader had to say. Most of them were nervous due to the fact that they were not sure what Thorin would do.

"We shall see just how long you will keep that promise..." Ren's eyes opened in surprise as she heard the sound of metal returning to its sheath. She looked up at the dwarf whose face was still hard with anger.

She was sure that he could have forced her to leave their Company. Instead, he was giving her a chance. Standing up from the ground, she straightened up to her full height. She kept her head bowed and the dwarf lord was only silent as he watched her.

"Then I thank you for the second chance." She told him before stepping back towards the group to see if she would be accepted. Most of the younger dwarves were smiling at her and patted her on the shoulders, proud that unveiled her secret to them. Thorin watched the entire exchange and his nephews were by her side immediately, asking her numerous questions about her life as an elf already.

The female elf looked back to Gandalf who was smirking, proud of the words that she had just spoken. He was sure that should it have been any other being, they would no longer be welcome in the Company of Thorin Oakenshield.

She had years of wisdom under her belt after all.

Yet as she turned around, her cool eyes fell upon the form off in the distance. Turning to follow her gaze, Thorin his eyes fell upon the same mountainous form that lay in a sea of clouds.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked and they all stepped forward up onto the very tip of Carrock. He had finally found his tongue, for he had missed the entire bit that Ren was an elf when they were in Goblin-Town so everything was a surprise for him.

"Erebor. The Lonely Mountain." Gandalf explained. "The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth."

"Our home..." Thorin breathed as he felt warmth fill his insides. It had been years since he had laid eyes upon the solitary peak. There was the sudden sound of a bird call as the tiny creature fluttered over their heads.

"A raven!" Oin stated. "The birds are returning to the mountain!"

"No..." Ren said as she watched the small bird flit off, her sharp eyes easily recognizing the pattern on its feathers. "It was a thrush..."

"But we'll take it as a sign. A good omen!" Thorin added as he stood beside the hobbit, smiling down at Bilbo.

"You're right! I do believe the worst is behind us!" He breathed and Ren could only let the smile that once lit her face slowly drop. For she still knew of what was to come.

And the worst had most certainly not yet come.

* * *

**And there you have it. **

**Push did almost come to shove. Thorin and Ren seriously almost fought. Did you actually think that he would threaten her with his sword? Probably not. **

**Anyway, thanks for all the reviews last chapter! It was so awesome to see how much you guys love this story! **

**But you know what would be even more awesome? Making it to 100 reviews before the Desolation of Smaug! And I'm also thinking that I will just put this story on hiatus and make this story exceptionally long. **

**So, yeah. Thanks for all the reviews again! Love you guys so much!**

**Love,**

**Blue**

**P.S. But don't worry. Ren won't be alone in the group. Some people will forgive her. Fili and Kili are almost ecstatic that she's an elf. Bilbo loves elves so she's fine there. Plus, she always has Gandalf if she has no one else to turn to but not for long. **

**Stay tuned for Desolation of Smaug but it may be a few months! Considering that the movie comes out in December :(**

**But just you wait, it will be awesome!**


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